In one of our monthly reviews at emdash, I asked a colleague what she learned in the previous month. She said, “Hmmm. Nothing much. Just tried out some stuff that was in the online course.” Our education has led us to believe that we are learning only if we take a course or read a book or worse, write an exam.
The problem is not that we stop learning. It’s the opposite. We don’t realise that we’re learning.
Drag and drop malfunctions on Google Drive on Safari. The hex for black is 000000. Mac Pages got a bunch of new templates. Whatsapp has a ‘mark unread’ button. Everything is learning, right?
These days, every time I learn something, I make a small #TIL update either in my daily journal or sometimes just mentally. Like taking a moment to savour that new lesson. Not only does it help remember what I learn, it also helps me beat the feeling of having ‘wasted’ time.
P.S: Have you heard of the ‘Learning How to Learn’ course on Coursera. If not, check it out right now. It’s eye-opening as well as good fun.