Gray hair and wrinkles can be a testimony of wisdom. But in a stressful world we often get caught up in equating our worth with productivity that could weigh on us post-retirement. Everyone, at every stage of life is a gift to the world. That said, aging does bring preventable and costly health challenges that we need to face squarely, from heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, obesity, arthritis, dry skin, falling hair, cognitive decline, stroke and cancer. There is also the possibility of depletion, loneliness and ageism. So, how can we look after ourselves better to ensure we are physically and mentally stronger as we age? Ayurveda is a holistic mind-body science which supports people through a comprehensive approach to live a healthier life right into their sunset years. It emphasizes that aging ( Jara ) is a natural process just like the seasons. It does acknowledge natural degenerative changes but recommends prevention, building resilience and an anti-aging regimen through its br
Becoming
a super learner is one of the most important skills you need to succeed
in the 21st century. In the age technological change, staying ahead
depends on continual self-education — a lifelong mastery of new models,
skills and ideas.
In
a world that’s changing fast, the ability to learn a new skill as fast
as possible is quickly becoming a necessity. The good news is, you don’t
need a natural gift to be better at learning something new even when
you have a full-time career.
Many
polymaths (people who have excelled in diverse pursuits) — including
Charles Darwin, Leonardo da Vinci and the Nobel prize-winning physicist
Richard Feynman — claimed not to have exceptional natural intelligence.
We
all have enough brainpower to master a new discipline — we use the
right tools, approaches, or apply what we learn correctly. Almost anyone
can learn anything — with the right technique.
Better
learning approaches can make the process enjoyable. The key to rapid
skill acquisition isn’t complicated. If you aim to learn a new skill to
improve your career this year, some of these habits can be useful for
you.
1. Super learners read a lot
Reading
is to the mind what exercise is to your body. It gives us the freedom
to roam the expanse of space, time, history, and offer a deeper view of
ideas, concepts, emotions, and body of knowledge.
Your
brain on books is active — growing, changing and making new connections
and different patterns, depending on the type of material you’re
reading. Highly successful learners read a lot.
In
fact, many of the most successful people share this appreciation for
reading — they don’t see reading as a chore but as an opportunity to
improve their lives, careers and businesses.
Elon Musk grew up reading two books a day, according to his brother. Bill Gates reads 50 books per year. Mark Zuckerberg reads at least one book every two weeks. Warren Buffett spends five to six hours per day reading five newspapers and 500 pages of corporate reports.
In
a world where information is the new currency, reading is the best
source of continuous learning, knowledge and acquiring more of that
currency.
2. Super learners view learning as a process
Learning is a journey, a discovery of new knowledge, not a destination.
It’s
an enjoyable lifelong process — a self-directed and self-paced journey
of discovery. Understanding any topic, idea or new mindset requires not
only keen observation but more fundamentally, the sustained curiosity.
“A
learning journey is a curated collection of learning assets, both
formal and informal, that can be used to acquire skills for a specific
role and/or technology area,” writes Sonia Malik of IBM.
Learning
is an investment that usually pays for itself in increased earnings.
More than ever, learning is for life if you want to stay relevant,
indispensable and thrive in the changing world of work.
Super
learners value the process. They don’t have an end goal, they seek
consistent improvement. They keep mastering new principles, processes,
worldviews, thinking models, etc. The “ongoing, voluntary, and
self-motivated” pursuit of knowledge is important for their maturity.
3. They adopt a growth mindset
You
can’t go wrong cultivating a growth mindset — a learning theory
developed by Dr Carol Dweck that revolves around the belief that you can
improve intelligence, ability and performance.
“The
illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and
write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn,” argues Alvin
Toffler, a writer, futurist, and businessman known for his works
discussing modern technologies.
Cultivating
a growth or adaptable mindset can help you focus more on your most
desirable goals in life. It may influence your motivation and could make
you more readily able to see opportunities to learn and grow your
abilities.
The
ability to keep an open-mind, acquire better knowledge and apply it
when necessary can significantly improve your life and career.
4. Super learners teach others what they know
According
to research, learners retain approximately 90% of what they learn when
they explain/teach the concept to someone else, or use it immediately.
Teaching
others what you know is one of the most effective ways to learn,
remember and recall new information. Psychologists, call it the “retrieval practice”. It’s one of the most reliable ways of building stronger memory traces.
Learn
by teaching someone else a topic in simple terms so you can quickly
pinpoint the holes in your knowledge. It’s a mental model coined by the
famous physicist Richard Feynman.
Known
as the “Great Explainer,” Feynman was revered for his ability to
clearly illustrate dense topics like quantum physics for virtually
anybody. The Feynman Technique is laid out clearly in James Gleick’s
biography, Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman.
The ultimate test of your knowledge is your capacity to transfer it to another.
A better way to learn, process, retain and remember information is to
learn half the time and share half the time. Example, instead of
completing a book, aim to read 50 percent and try recalling, sharing, or
writing down the key ideas you have learned before proceeding.
5. Effective learners take care of their brains
Keeping
your brain healthy keeps it sharp. What you do or don’t do for your
brain can significantly change how your record, process and retrieve
information. Everyone wants to live an active life for as long as
possible. And that goal depends on robust brain health.
That
means eating lots of foods associated with slowing cognitive decline —
blueberries, vegetables (leafy greens — kale, spinach, broccoli), whole
grains, getting protein from fish and legumes and choosing healthy
unsaturated fats (olive oil) over saturated fats (butter).
Fruit
and vegetables combat age-related oxidative stress that causes wear and
tear on brain cells,” says Dr Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry and
ageing.
Our
brains naturally decline if we do nothing to protect them. However, if
you intervene early, you can slow the decline process — it’s easier to
protect a healthy brain than to try to repair damage once it is
extensive.
6. They take short breaks, early and often
Downtime is crucial to retaining anything you choose to learn. According to recent research, taking short breaks, early and often, can help you learn things better and even improve your retention rate.
“Everyone
thinks you need to ‘practice, practice, practice’ when learning
something new. Instead, we found that resting, early and often, maybe
just as critical to learning as practice,” said Leonardo G. Cohen, M.D.,
Ph.D., a senior investigator at NIH’s National Institute of
Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Better
breaks help the brain solidify, memories during the rest periods.
Whatever you choose to learn over time, it’s important to optimise the
timing of rest intervals for better results.
Experts
at the Louisiana State University’s Center for Academic Success
recommends 30–50 minutes sessions. “Anything less than 30 is just not
enough, but anything more than 50 is too much information for your brain
to take in at one time,” says learning strategies graduate assistant Ellen Dunn.
Our
brains’ neural networks need to time process information, so spacing
out your learning helps you memorise new information more efficiently —
give your brain enough time to rest and recover.
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