Lifelong Learning Reflection and Discovery Exercise
What motivates you to be a lifelong learner or perhaps become one?
For most of my life I've gone with jobs that require physical more than mental challenges. While I still prefer these admittedly that might be
because my comfort zone lies there. This quest to change most of who I am(physically/mentally/emotionally) is largely focused on self-betterment.
Without the continuous pursuit of knowledge and diversification in not only learning techniques but also in interests studied one can expect to
plateau never knowing where their true potential lies. It is this curiosity that sparked this passion to see where this road goes.
Reflect on which of the 7 1/2 habits of a successful lifelong learners.
Begin with the end in mind - This is perhaps the most important step(as I've discovered this year). Without a solid picture of where you are
going and what your end goal is, one will not have the drive and inspiration to push through all obstacles that inevitably arise. Having a
clear vision of what/where the final destination is(of course this can change) will allow the focus needed to plan for success.
Accept responsibility for your own learning - As with most things in life owning responsibility for your own progression instead of making excuses
for why something isn't working will allow you to focus on the solution instead of wallowing in the problem. Waiting around for someone else to
do things for you is hardly ever efficacious.
View Problems as challenges - Very critical mindset that almost by itself can turn frustration and procrastination into a hard headed determination
slowly building a never give up attitude. Essentially you are training your brain to see obstacles as "fun" tests you get to solve.
Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner - Negative reinforcement by ritually demonstrating **"Imposter Syndrome" will
leave you feeling inadequate and inferior. Research has shown this is surprisingly common even among the best students in a class, this feeling
that others are that much better/smarter/talented than yourself. Once you can boost your ego through positive afirmations or whatever else it
takes to break free from these allusions of inadequacy the ability to soar presents itself. We are all capable of greatness if we put the
work in.
*Create your own Learning Toolbox - There is no perfect Toolbox for everyone. Wide varieties of learning techniques exist which will resonate
differently with each individual. One must search through the list and try each one finding what works best for them as well as continually
keep up to date on new research in the field of learning to make sure a new discovery that could be extremely beneficial is not overlooked.
Use technology to your advantage - In this day and age technology is more than ever the key to avoid drowning in this overwhelming sea of data.
Discovering new tools, what they do and how to use them properly can lead to infinite possibilities. Perhaps the problem you're trying to
solve(or have solved) has been completed by someone else(with a potentially better solution).
Teach/Mentor Others - Just reading and studying material has been shown to be less effective in the long run than testing and practicing recall
right away. One of the best ways to do that is explain the material to another. By this action you are furthering your own understanding as
well as solidifying it in memory through repetition.
Play - It has been shown that two modes of thinking exist: Focused and Diffuse Modes. Focused is what we do when we intently
try to learn something giving it our full attention. Diffuse Mode is where the subconscious files this information away for us, sorting it out
as well as making corelations to existing information already stored in our brain. Diffuse Mode is passive and works on the information once
we stop actively think about it(e.g. go for a walk or play) which is why taking a break when you hit a block can allow a solution to develop
while you distract yourself with play or some other task.
Which habit is easiest for you? Which is the most difficult?
Easiest would be Accepting Responsibility as since a kid being self-reliant has already left me with a good mindset for taking control of my own actions.
Most difficult would be having confidence in myself. Despite being self-reliant my self esteem is generally very low(another thing i'm trying to change).
Now that I am aware of the **"Imposter Syndrome" it is just a matter of continuously reinforcing positivity and defeating these negative thoughts.
My Artifact is a Mind Map Created With Wisemapping
My Reflections...
I chose to sample this app by brainstorming one of my biggest goals this year. The ease of use Wisemapper provides surprised me a little as well as
some of it's capabilities. I've been wanting to lay out a game plan for a while for this goal so this was good inspiration to start the preliminary steps. Of
course this needs building on so there will be continuous modifications as more thought goes into this and things change.
Currently, an ongoing struggle with my motivation has been ongoing so this comes at a great time. While this is undoubtedly a useful tool, one annoyance is
when filling a text block, so far I have found no way to modify existing text and have to retype the entire block to make changes. Though perhaps there is a method
I am not familiar with yet. This so far seems a fairly solid design and I plan on continuing to play with it to develop more complex Mind Maps.