4 Ways to Learn Something New
As society continues to discover and learn, there becomes an increasingly larger pool of information at our disposal. Individuals that seek to grow, are left to sift through all this information to figure out what is useful to them. Simply identifying relevant information is only the beginning. The next crucial step is determining which sources are credible and trustworthy, a challenge in today’s ever-expanding digital landscape. This blog post will attempt to outline 4 Ways to Learn Something New.
As despite these barriers, learning new things is the only option for those of us looking to advance our careers or experience personal growth. So where does this leave us? If you’re looking to grow, you’ll need to figure out what learning method works best for you, so here are 4 ways to learn something new:
LinkedIn Learning Courses
These courses have been around for a while, and there is debate over how much weight they hold. Some courses are created to raise awareness of a new way of thinking, others are used to demonstrate capability with a particular software application. Like most sources, we should judge these on a case-by-case basis.
That said, the general consensus on these courses is that most don’t hold much standing in proving your suitability for a job. But they can be a great source of information on topics such as soft skills. They can also offer a low-commitment option to assess the genuineness of your interest in a particular subject, before you re-mortgage your house to pay for a recognised qualification.
Here’s a Forbes article that offers 10 LinkedIn Learning Courses Worth Taking by Dr. Ruth Gotian, who shares her knowledge on how to optimise career success.
Career relevant certificates
The value of career relevant certificates is – I’d hope – fairly self-explanatory. Whilst these courses are often an investment, the long-term return on these recognised qualifications – through career progression and salary – often justifies the cost.
The only bump you may come across down this road, appears if you are unsure of your future career aspirations. Many of these courses will teach you highly transferable skills, however, the prestige of your chosen course may not be as notable if you change career paths. You have to decide if the route you have chosen is one you want to commit to long term, and if not, is it worth the cost?
Books
Self-help books are something I would imagine most of us are familiar with. Whether your interest is newly founded, sparked through a trending video on social media, or has been conscious practice for a while. Whatever your position, there are always new books out there to try. Some offer some true gems of advice, others can simply present another perspective to a perplexing issue. You may feel as though don’t have the time of day to read but that’s what audio books are for!
Imagine getting a pep talk every time you drive to work. If you find the right audio book, that’s what it feels like. Personally, I’ve been enjoying ‘Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals’ by Oliver Burkeman, which addresses the challenge of trying to fit a never-ending to do list into a finite amount of time.
For some more reading inspiration, take a look at this list comprised of 2024 book recommendations from Financial Times’ Editors and specialists.
People
Opportunities to learn are presented to us on a daily basis, but we often don’t recognise them as such. Every time you meet someone new, they will most likely have a whole wealth of knowledge that goes untapped. You may have heard the saying, if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. This quote has been credited to a few clever individuals, but regardless of where it originally came from, it stands true.
Talk to people, make conversation, and ask questions. This may sound like something you’d imagine a parent saying to their child on the first day at a new school, but it still applies to us as adults. Whether it be during a networking event, through LinkedIn, or even whilst you’re making a cappuccino with the posh office coffee machine. Try it and see what happens.
This is just a few examples of ways to introduce new insight into your life and your thought processes. By all means, take a shot at any method that appeals to you, and hopefully you’ll find that one of these ‘4 ways to learn something new’, sticks.
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