This is part 3 of a 5 part series (learning a new skill). Part 1 was time management and part 2 was self-love. If the last two years have taught us anything is that the future is digital. And it’s time for us to adapt. Our students and kids are already digital natives, oftentimes teaching us adults how to use apps and programs and devices. My suggestion might be to learn something digital, but you certainly don’t have to. What you can do, however, is utilize digital platforms to learn your new skill for free!
Learning a new skill? Is it ever too late?
No! It is never too late. And in fact, it’s good for our brains and cognitive functions to continue learning new skills. In a research study asking older adults to simultaneously learn new skills, the researchers found that their cognitive abilities improved to someone 30 years younger. I don’t know about you, but if continuous learning can help my brain stay active and young, then I’m in.
So how can you start learning?
As I mentioned earlier, the future is digital. So, there are many websites you can go to in order to learn new skills. Here is a post I wrote about four sites I recommend. Simply going to YouTube and typing in what you want to know will yield thousands, if not millions, of results.
One new skill that I’m focusing on in 2022 is language acquisition. I’ve been living in Norway for 3 months and have been using Duolingo to learn Norwegian. I also used to be fairly advanced in Spanish and am practicing that as well so I don’t forget it.
Whatever skill that you have been thinking about doing (piano, language, art, coding, etc.), just start by researching how. And once you find a way, then you create your plan and you go for it!