Lifelong learning is defined as the “ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons.” Engaging in lifelong learning is important if you want to keep your mind in shape, improve your skills, and boost your confidence.
But, you might be worried that engaging in lifelong learning requires you to sign up for expensive and time-consuming college classes. Don’t worry though, there are a number of easy and free ways you can incorporate lifelong learning into your daily life.
Here are 5 easy ways to engage in lifelong learning every day.
Read more
One of the best ways to engage in lifelong learning every day is to read books. A great fiction book will provide you with hours of entertainment and it will make you smarter. According to an article published by CNBC, reading fiction improves your language and vocabulary skills and boosts your emotional intelligence. But, you don’t have to read a long novel to get the benefits of reading. If you prefer, you can read an interesting magazine or blog post each day to engage in lifelong learning—and it will only take about 5 minutes.
And if you really can’t squeeze in a bit of reading to your day, you can try audiobooks instead. By listening to audiobooks, you can learn about interesting topics or immerse yourself in a new world while you’re commuting, working out, or folding the laundry. Check out your local library app to borrow some audiobooks for free on your smartphone.
Listen to podcasts
Speaking of learning on the go, you can also listen to podcasts to learn a little bit each day. Podcasts have become super popular in recent years and there’s a podcast for nearly every topic under the sun.
Just take a look at all the different podcast genres you can dive into:
- History
- Politics
- Travel
- Spirituality
- Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
- Language Learning
- Health and Fitness
- And Much More
Try listening to a broad range of podcast genres in order to walk away with a wealth of knowledge that will help you stay on top and up-to-date with a variety of different subjects.
Take a free online course
The internet has made it incredibly easy for people to engage in lifelong learning, so take advantage of it. There are tons of free online courses that you can sign up for today. For instance, online learning platforms like Udemy and Alison offer a number of free online courses on subjects like accounting, leadership, blogging, drawing, baking, and much more.
With most online courses, you can also learn at your own pace. That means you can choose whether you want to spend 15 minutes per day learning or an hour. And before choosing an online course, check out the testimonials and reviews to make sure the course you pick is a quality one that includes the information you’re looking for.
Watch educational YouTube videos
Another easy way to engage in lifelong learning every day is to watch educational YouTube videos. According to Statista, as of May 2019, more than 500 hours of video were uploaded to YouTube every minute, which equates to approximately 30,000 hours of newly uploaded content per hour. So, you’re sure to find a ton of educational YouTube videos related to your specific interests. Simply use YouTube’s search feature to enter in keywords related to the topic you’re interested in and you’ll be presented with loads of results in an instant.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out the TED Talks YouTube channel. This channel features the best talks and performances from the TED conference. There are talks about global issues, self-improvement, science, business, and more.
Keep smart company
Lastly, the company you keep can help you engage in lifelong learning. So, it’s important to surround yourself with smart and curious people. When you spend time with smart and curious people, you’ll be able to have more interesting, in-depth conversations.
You can go to lunch with a colleague you admire, reach out to inspiring people online, or join a book club to interact with others that are interested in engaging in lifelong learning through reading. Surrounding yourself with other lifelong learners will help you stay on your own journey.
Reach your full potential with lifelong learning
If you want to reach your full potential, never stop learning. With these easy ways to engage in lifelong learning, with just a few minutes per day you can grow personally and professionally.