new

When was the last time you learnt something new? I mean really learnt, dedicating time and resources and [as your mum would say: applying yourself], not just picking stuff up along the way.

Some fantastic folk I talk to are unsure of who they are, particularly outside of their professional sphere. They struggle to identify their interests and values, the directions they want to take. That is not a bad thing, not at all. Not as long as you are doing something about it.

And one of the best things to do is to to keep learning. Anything.
[But consciously].

For me, over the past few years, learning has meant completing a Psychology Masters, working out how to ski rather than tumble [read: die] down a mountain, practicing pilates, mountain bike riding [er, that one didn’t quite work out] and engaging in business development [which involved mastering Twitter: for some that would just be doing, for me it was definitely learning].

Focused learning requires time, it [often] requires money and [obviously but sometimes challengingly] it requires something to learn.

So, friends, get prepared: be creative about time management, look at other folk who Do Stuff and see how they fit in their learning. Start a piggy bank or a savings account and begin building your self-development budget. And finally, Get Curious. Notice the stuff that grabs your attention: the newspaper headlines; the overheard.on.the.tram conversations; the street.art; the monday.night.movies; the people outside your window. Identify emerging themes and ask yourself: what do I want to know more about?

The last step? Find a way to find out. Buy a book, ask colleagues if they know someone you can talk to, enrol in an online [or eep! real.life] course, make Google your friend [but don’t fall into the Google.vortex where time and self disappear and pppffft! Why is it dark and how is it suddenly dinner.time?]

A commitment to ongoing learning will create opportunities for richer living and [without getting too Dr Seuss on you] take you to places you had never intended. Potentially scary [incredibly liberating].