The Importance of Being a Lifelong Learner
Learning is a skill to which we devote the first 18-25 years of our lives almost exclusively, yet so many of us abandon learning almost completely once we walk across the stage to receive our diplomas. However, lifelong learning is a skill that sets the most successful individuals apart from the rest. I have found that those who are coachable and have the desire to continually learn are the ones who excel the furthest in their careers and have the most joy in life.
Studying and reading about new concepts and subjects makes us better, more well-rounded, and capable people. The more we understand about our world, families, jobs, and Creator, the better we can operate in this life. Unfortunately, our daily grind can distract us from the joy of learning, and we need to make it a priority in our lives.
Here are some simple goals to set for yourself to instill the skill of learning in your daily life.
Read (or Listen).
Read anything and everything. Ask your friends what they are reading. Reading will inspire you and teach you, whether you enjoy fiction or nonfiction. Set a goal to read books that will help you become a better leader, spouse, parent, or Christ follower each year. Audiobooks are a great way to digest books when you’re on the go. Even if you only take a few nuggets of truth from each book, you will grow as an individual! You can also learn a variety of new skills and hobbies on YouTube. I love fixing things and digging into the intricacies of machines to see how they work and fix them. I have always been able to find valuable instruction on YouTube. I just recently completely disassembled a broken Ice Machine, and totally rebuilt it by welding in a new compressor and other parts, and now the thing works like new at a tiny fraction of the cost of a new one.
Expose yourself to culture.
Learn about what is going on in the world and culture around you. There are some really crazy beliefs and views in our culture today, and if you don’t agree with their views, then you are viewed as a racist or at a minimum just plain intolerant. The only way to connect with others and to have a meaningful dialog about anything is that you first need to learn about and try to understand what drives them and their thinking. You don’t have to agree with them, but you do need to understand their perspective. Don’t get drawn into their non-biblical thinking, but seek to understand their perspective, and then you can have a dialog rather than a debate. Who knows, they may even come around to your beliefs once they see how much you care about them and the joy you have in your life!
Travel
Experiencing a different culture’s food, history, and environment is a wonderful way to learn. Not only do you get to meet new people and see different ways in which people live their lives, but you can also learn new things about yourself as well. I recently spent some time out of the country on a mission trip, and I learned so much about their unique culture. I was reminded how blessed we are with the abundance we have in the United States, and yet I saw the contentment that they had in their very modest and humble lives without all the noise that we have in our divided culture where chasing money, possessions, power, and recognition rule. Likewise, I had the opportunity to visit Israel a few years ago, and I was blown away by how much the Bible came alive to me from seeing the locations with my own eyes. If you have the opportunity to travel, whether near or far, I recommend you do it!
Study
Find a Bible Study or a Small Group or Life Group at your church to join. Studying God’s Word with a group of friends can be a life-changing experience. And if you can’t find someone to lead your group, form your own group and you can use my recorded podcasts of the books of the New Testament on my website where I read to you and walk you through each chapter, verse by verse and explain what is being said (all for free). There are many groups around the country that are using that as a resource for their Bible Study. https://larryodonnell.com/podcast
Go Back to School!
This may not be for everyone, but I wholeheartedly recommend it if you have the means and desire. While I was still in my business career, I went back to school to get an executive MBA (on top of my engineering degree and law degree.) After retiring from my corporate career, I went to seminary to receive my Master of Biblical and Theological Studies. I got a chuckle at the beginning of each new semester when I walked into our new classes and all the students got really quiet thinking I was the professor! It might have seemed a little strange to have such an old dude as a student on campus, but it was an extremely transformative experience for me. I grew in my faith and knowledge of the Lord, and now I am more equipped for His work. And I made many new close friends. Even if pursuing a degree is not what you want, there are many classes and courses you can take to learn new skills, and many are available online. Many community libraries offer these for free! There are also a variety of conferences and seminars on leadership and other topics of interest. LinkedIn Learning and Right Now Media are both great online tools for growing professionally and spiritually, and my seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, even offers scaled-down seminary courses online for free: https://courses.dts.edu/
The ability to learn is a gift from God that we should take advantage of throughout our lives. Don’t allow yourself to be stuck in a rut by making it a priority to learn and grow each day! It can be transformative and life-changing!