Developing the Correct Mindset
for Learning a New Skill
by Adrian McMaster
Learning a new skill can evoke many emotions in different people. For some, learning a new skill is exciting and it makes them happy. Other people find learning a new skill frustrating or anxiety-producing because of all the effort that must be put into learning something new. This frustration can often lead to abandonment of the learning experience and may result in a feeling of failure. Learning a new skill doesn’t have to be this frustrating. If you develop the correct mindset for learning a new skill, you’ll be able to pursue your passions and develop a life of success.
Developing the mindset for learning a new skill can only be accomplished if you identify what you want to learn. If you try to learn a skill you’re not truly interested in, you will have very little motivation and you may become frustrated or angry. To identify the skills you want to learn more about, look at the activities you do and the types of books and television programs you are interested in. Do you like to participate in sports? Are your favorite programs ones that involve scrap booking or home organization? Your likes and dislikes can help you to identify skills that you would be interested in learning. If you already play tennis, but you’ve just become interested in squash, learning to play that sport might be something that keeps you motivated. If you’re currently into scrap booking but you are interested in learning how to use software to make layouts, this is something you could pursue. Don’t just pick any skill to learn; pick a skill that will hold your interest and enrich your life.
Once you’ve identified the skills you would like to learn, you need to develop a plan for learning that will keep you motivated and help you learn in a way that helps you remember new concepts and apply them to the development of practical skills. Many people use reading and other methods of self-study as a way to learn. Others may ask the instructor of a class to help them develop a method of studying that helps them retain information. Since you’re trying to learn a new skill, working with the skill hands on may be the most effective way of practicing what you have learned. You can try to get an internship or to shadow someone in a profession that uses this skill. Once you’ve developed a plan for learning, you’ll have a guide to keep you motivated and remind you of what you wanted to learn the skill.
Once you’ve developed your learning plan, it is important to stick with it so you can be sure to learn the skill you are interested in. If you are tempted to stop trying to learn, refer to your written learning plan to keep yourself motivated and help you to stick out the remaining time in your learning experience. You can find a friend to help you practice or study or you can enroll in a supplemental program that will give you additional help in learning your new skill. These supplemental programs will allow you to practice what you have already learned so that you can keep your skills current as you learn new material. Additional self-study can also be helpful when you are learning a new skill. Combining any of these methods can help you to stay on track to learning a new skill and reaching your goals. Learning a new skill can enrich your life and help you to develop a love of lifelong learning. Taking the time and effort to learn this new skill is something that will pay off for a lifetime.
Keywords: adult learning theory, learning strategy, learning a new skill
Adrian and Brenda can show you that anything is possible if you get your mind set balanced. They came together after some very life changing experiences.Their site, www.lead-a-powerful-life.com is for you.to get the proper mindset to take your life wherever you would like it to go.
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Copyright 2006 Adrian McMaster