When was the last time you faced with something you did not know before at all? When was the last time you said “wow, is it a thing?”
It’s a great feeling, is not it? Imagine feeling like this every day — or just let me say as much as possible.
To my mind, we adults tend to flow with the time of life, spiraling down in the whirlwind of it and complaining about not having time for anything.
But most of the time, that is just a lie we believe. Then we use that lie to prevent us trying out something new.
But in order to function in a world where speed is accelerating, we should accelerate our growth as well. It should be done through learning and applying as much as possible.
Enhancing our outlook will open up new opportunities in every aspect of our life such as career, friendships, relationships, business. If we are able to incorporate an open outlook into our everyday routine, then it will also eliminate the feeling of monotony and boredom.
Ignorance is a choice. Everything is right near us, waiting to be explored. If you want to know more, simply devote your time to it.
1. Learn a new language with or without an accountability partner
Sounds hard — but is easier than you might imagine. Learning a new language is always fun and all it takes is to start with 5–10 new words each day.
You don’t have to dwell on the grammar right away. Just pick a language that your ears love and start listening to a podcast.
Learn a handful of words every day. Watch movies with subtitles. Explore the culture so you will get to know more about the country.
You can do this with a friend to make things more serious and funnier. But it still works if you go for it alone.
2. Try out a new hobby with a friend or family member
What is one thing the child inside you will be regretful if you do not do it before you die? Start researching about that.
If it is some kind of sport, search for places where you can play it or learn professionally.
If it is a hobby that requires talent, find an online course, start learning from the basics, even if your mind screams that you suck at it and you should not waste your time.
Remember, doing a fun thing is never a waste of time, after all, that is what we bring to the table where experiences and stories are shared.
3. Think about redecorating your room or house
You will learn a lot about interior design and psychology.
Have you ever researched the colors in your room? Why are they the way they are? How someone chose them in those specific colors and why?
You don’t need to be an interior designer at the end of your research but you can at least know the influences of colors that we see daily on our cognitive behavior and even mental health.
Have you ever thought about why hospitals are mainly white?
Why police uniforms tend to be dark blue?
Why military colors are shades of green and brown?
Why having the children’s room colored in orange is not a good idea?
All of them have reasons and waiting to be acknowledged by you.
4. Gradually research about a healthy diet that does not push you to your limits.
In other words, research about the food you usually intake.
No, don’t sit on a diet. Just understand why you choose the food you eat on a daily basis. What kind of effect do they have on your body and mind? What are the substitutes? Can you survive without them?
Find out the nutritional value in that food varying from carbs to fruits and veggies.
Why do they insist on drinking at least 3 lt of water every day? Do you know this enough to explain to someone else who does not?
5. Choose a discussion topic from the internet and talk about it for 5 minutes
See if you have the proper vocabulary to express your ideas in different ways, if you don’t then open vocabulary and try to incorporate the relating words into your speech.
This one is my favorite. Sometimes (most of the time) I find myself boring in social events because I compare myself to others who always come up with catching and interesting topics to discuss.
Then I feel worse when I compare myself to those who can keep up with that topic as well. I am very aware that this should not be my motivation because most probably some of them would not keep up with the topics that I decide to bring up.
But I still want to have a couple of ideas on the matter.
So I search for the topics that I don’t usually talk about with my friends or family ranging from politics, environment, and real estate. I see the lack of vocabulary in those areas and I turn to the dictionary.
5 new words every day is a big step. Make it a goal if you are fine with being a student of life, for life.
6. Tell someone you know to give you a book randomly and start reading it.
Let me guess, there are probably dozens of books on your reading list waiting for a magic wand to be chosen by. But it won’t happen. All you need is just to start.
So make things easier for yourself. Ask a friend or a close person to recommend you or lend you a book and set up a realistic deadline for you to finish.
Don’t say the type or the theme of a book, just trust their choice. If it is different than what you usually like, then congratulations. You will learn a lot about something you had no idea of before.
7. Choose a random page from the encyclopedia and read 1 page every day.
It won’t take more than a couple of minutes.
You can even opt for an encyclopedia written for children. In this way, you would avoid all those terms that you don’t really need.
You can read something in geography, history, science, and get amazed by the information you are provided with.
What is more surprising is that it won’t really take more than 5 minutes while you can squander it with scrolling on Instagram for the 20th time on a day reading, watching the same content for the 50th time already.
8. Talk to children and observe what they are most interested in to know
Ever wanted to feel stupid? Talk to children.
They might not have a great experience as you do, but what they have is much more valuable than experience — curiosity.
Curiosity gives birth to knowledge and experiences themselves and everything starts with being interested in something.
If you really don’t know where to start or continue learning, talk to a child or a kid around you. They will ask a lot.
In case you don’t know the answer to one of their questions then go and learn it.
Also, the best measurement of knowledge is whether you can explain it to a child in front of you, if you can, then congratulations one more time.
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Joshua Earle at Unsplash