I've always been insatiably curious. I love new and novel things, and I really like to learn new stuff. And so, for nearly 60 years, I've prioritized learning. No matter how busy I am or what's going on in my life, I make time to learn new things because it keeps me aware, engaged, and connected.
So why am I telling you this? Because lifelong learning can not only help you professionally, but it can improve mental health and keep your brain healthy, and it can even help you feel more fulfilled in life. If these benefits sound great to you, then maybe some of the formal and informal ways I fulfill the need to be a lifelong learner can inspire you to find a few of your own.
I Visit New Places
Whether it's a quick weekend jaunt, a day trip to a winery, a hike along a new trail, a long road trip, or an international vacation, I prioritize visiting new places. I'm at my happiest when I'm discovering a new place, talking to people with different backgrounds and experiences, and exploring somewhere I've never been. Even the shortest jaunt energizes me and makes me excited to be alive.
And my insatiable wanderlust has exposed me to so many people, ideas, sights, sounds, smells, and flavors that I've never experienced before. It often takes me outside of my comfort zone, opens my eyes to new ideas and possibilities, and gives me the opportunity to grow.
It doesn't have to be something expensive or extended. Even getting out into the woods and hiking a new trail or visiting an antique shop you haven't been to before can get the neurons firing in your brain.
I Read Cookbooks Cover to Cover
I've done this since I was a kid. I love to explore the world through cooking, and the fastest and best way I've learned to cook is by reading cookbooks like they're novels. It gives me new ideas for flavor combos, helps me understand what types of foods go together, and more. I still love reading a cookbook this way. I seldom use an actual recipe. Instead, I use what I've learned as a jumping off point and create my own recipes.
I've watched cooking shows in a similar way over the years — even in the days way back before Food Network was a thing, I'd watch cooking shows on PBS as entertainment just to help me understand how to cook.
This has helped me in my career, too. I've written and published multiple cookbooks and created food content for a number of websites.
I Watch Documentaries
I LOVE a documentary. Finding documentaries about just about anything is my favorite lazy Sunday activity. Learning through documentaries has expanded my understanding of the world, helped me to explore points of view counter to my own, taught me a lot about the way people from other places, cultures, and socioeconomic classes live, and appeased my curiosity about so many different things. And there are a ton of great docs on virtually every streaming service, so they're easy to find.
I Read a Lot
I'll read anything (not just cookbooks). I read fiction, nonfiction, biographies, periodicals, religious texts, plays — you name it. Heck, I'll even read reference books sometimes just to satisfy my need for new facts.
I think my love of reading has supported my career as a writer — to be a good writer, you also need to be a reader. It's also made me hard to beat on trivia night.
I Take & Teach Classes
I've also pursued my formal education. I've taken classes online, at local colleges, at community centers, and more. I love exploring the quarterly classes offering we get from our local community college because I always want to see what might interest me there. And I've studied everything from history to winemaking and distilling to fitness to spiritual concepts and practices.
And sure, I'm a dabbler. But some subjects spark my interest, and I spend months or years learning about them as deeply as possible, often gaining certificates or certifications. And once I've learned something and incorporated it into my life, sometimes I teach it. I've taught cooking classes, fitness classes, bartending classes, and a host of spiritual classes ranging from dream interpretation to energy healing because I love to pass on knowledge so other people can also discover the pleasure of learning.
I Try to Learn Something New Every Day
In my opinion, that's what the internet is for. There's so much to learn, so I find something I'm curious about and learn it.
I Teach Myself Art & Crafts
I taught myself to crochet, make jewelry, make aromatherapy blends, and more. I was pretty good at some of it. Others — not so much, but it was still fun to learn. You can find so much free instruction online that you can learn to create just about anything.
I Learn to Play Music
Full disclosure — I've been a musician since I was a kid, so I already know how to read music and learn instruments. And I just kept at it into adulthood. In college, I played piano, flute, and percussion, but as an adult, I've continued piano lessons and taught myself to play several instruments (with different degrees of success), including the mandolin, guitar, ukulele, and singing bowls. I love to pick up an instrument and fiddle around with it just to see what I can get it to do.
I Volunteer
When I volunteer for a new organization or cause, I learn new stuff. I've been volunteering since I was a teen, and the experiences have been invaluable. I can't list all the places I've volunteered, but a few stand out.
I volunteered as a CASA-Guardian Ad Litem and learned a ton about our child welfare system, our legal system, child protective services, child psychology, addiction, and more. I volunteered at our local historical museum and discovered how to preserve historical artifacts (along with a ton about our local history). I volunteered for a crisis phone line and learned a lot about communication, compassion, mental health, and the struggles that so many people deal with every day. I volunteered for disaster relief and learned a lot about the human condition. I volunteered for an organization for people with intellectual disabilities and found the sweetest and most loving human beings I've ever met.
I Follow My Curiosity
When I find myself wondering about something, I look it up or try to find a way to experience it. If I can't look it up at the moment, I make note of it somewhere (I keep a journal, but a voice memo would work, too). Then, when I'm in the mood to explore something new, I can grab my list and choose something.
I Try to Say Yes to Things
Within reason, yes is my go-to answer when I'm invited to do things. This is something I've had to work on because I'm an introvert who has always had some social anxiety, but my desire to discover new stuff usually outweighs my desire to hide away from people. And saying yes has helped me grow. I still have anxiety, but I do it anyway. Saying yes has brought a ton of new experiences, new ideas, new people, and new places into my life that I would've missed out on if I'd said no.
I Try Not to Let Fear or Discomfort Keep Me From Trying Things
I've had to make friends with discomfort and fear over the years, and I'm always glad when I'm able to override it because I've come to realize that to get a big payoff, you often have to do scary and uncomfortable things. The fears are still there. But I also have years of understanding that the payoff makes a little terror or discomfort totally worthwhile, and it keeps me learning.
Related: My Weird Fears & How I Keep Them From Controlling Me
I Take on New Challenges at Work
I've always been a little bit of a professional Swiss army knife (with all thanks to my co-worker Keith, who coined that phrase) because when there's a new challenge or project at work, I'm often the first to volunteer, and I dive headfirst into doing it. It has taught me a ton of diverse skills that have served me incredibly well in my career and satisfied my voracious need to continue to learn. It also keeps me from getting bored at work.
When Someone Offers to Teach Me Something, I Take Them Up on It
Whether it's somebody at work or a friend, I'm always up to learn new stuff. So I never turn down an opportunity to have someone teach me something — from how to get better at creating spreadsheets to learning to do a fun line dance, I'm down.
I Learn New Languages
I speak a few languages (poorly), but I love taking the time to learn them. And just a heads' up — Duolingo is free and can really help, and then podcasts and videos can take you the rest of the way to learning a new language. Since the lessons are so quick, you can squeeze a little learning in when you have a few moments to spare and nothing else to do.
Never Stop Learning
You can teach an old dog new tricks — I know because I'm in my late 50s and still learn every day. Whether you take a class or just get out and explore the world, learning new things is fulfilling and can have so many benefits. You're never too young or too old to start.
