I make it a point to learn something new every day. It’s been a habit of mine for years and started shortly after my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Plus, challenging myself is its own reward.
Albert Einstein once said, “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” And there’s no denying that Albert Einstein was a genius. After all, he (allegedly) had sex with Marilyn Monroe. Like I said – genius.
There are many advantages to learning new things. Here are the ones that resonate with me:
Learning something new is powerful. When I figured out how to fix the broken lamp in my guest room, I felt as though I could accomplish anything. (Okay, so it turned out to be a burned-out light bulb. But I figured it out and you can’t take that powerful feeling away from me!)
Learning something new can reduce stress. When I began knitting, I realized that it relaxed me and decluttered my mind so that I could simply focus on the project in my hands.
Learning something new provides the ability for me to escape. When I read a novel that takes place in India, or in ancient China, I am transported to a foreign country with a vividly different culture for me to experience.
Learning something new gives me confidence. Whether it’s this week’s NFL stats or a new technique for grilling vegetables, I feel a bit smarter after I’ve stored the added information into my brain.
Learning something new has health benefits. Not only will this practice ease cognitive decline as we age, but it will also increase our levels of happiness.
Learning something new is fun. I saved the best for last on my list, because having fun is very important to me. If I’m lucky enough to have a choice, I’ll always opt for anything that brings a smile to my face. Even though my definition of “fun” may be entirely different than yours, fun is fun, and we all could probably use a bit more of it.
Now that I’ve convinced you to learn something new every day, you might appreciate a few suggestions as to how to accomplish this.
For starters, become curious. Reacquaint yourself with your inner child and sprinkle in the potentially annoying “why” about anything capturing your interest.
Maybe you can change up your daily routine in order to become comfortable with the concept of experimenting. Try taking a different route to work, or shop at a different grocery store.
And finally, become committed to scheduling the time to learn something new. Ask your smart and happy friends to recommend a podcast. Hop on YouTube and watch a few “how-to” videos. Or read a news article in the morning and opt for solving today’s Wordle puzzle at bedtime instead.
If you’ve read this far, please accept my challenge to learn one new thing every day for the next five days, and comment or tag me with your results. Make me proud!
