Teaching an old dog (you) new tricks. Learn Daily.3 min read

Are you being intentional about learning every day?

We all learn something new every day; at least a little something. At a minimum, you’re learning things you don’t even identify as learning (even if it’s just where a new pothole or road closure is so you can avoid it). But what about purposeful learning?

Sometimes learning is unintentional

You might see a car broken down on the side of the road with a AAA badged wrecker behind it (or in front of it, or UNDERNEATH it!). Maybe you think to yourself, perhaps even subconsciously, “Bob’s Wrecker Service is affiliated with AAA”. You learned something. Do you pay attention to things you notice throughout the day and try to learn from them?

Be curious

What if you were more intentional about learning? What if you thought “I wonder how that works”, and when you got to where you were headed, took a moment and googled “AAA wrecker services”.

I just Googled and here is what I found. The first result that came up was for AutoclubSouth.AAA.com. On that site I clicked around a little, curious about exactly who is authorized to do work for AAA. I found a link that led me to this info:

Services are provided, in most cases, by independent businesses (not employees or agents of the Club) under contract to AAA to provide Road Service as described herein. While the Club is not responsible for the acts or omissions of these independent contractors, the Club will assist members in resolving complaints that may arise as a result of damage or unsatisfactory service.

I also noticed in the side bar that you are to call their 800 number if you need service.

There you have it. You call AAA when you have a problem and AAA dispatches someone from the area who they are contracted with. You just learned something. Curiosity will lead you to a lot of new knowledge.

Be intentional

In addition to being curious, you should also be in search of new knowledge.

• I decided one time that I was going to read a page out of the dictionary every day. That lasted about a day. Today went and signed up for a word of the day email from Merriam-Webster. That’s a good start and perhaps a little more practical.
• Just now, I did a Google search for “learn something new” to see what came up. I discovered a site called ZidBits.  This site has a ton of articles explaining all sorts of things. For instance, did you know that there is a scientific reason that hot water CAN freeze faster than cold water? I just followed them on Facebook.
• Since I started blogging in earnest recently, I’ve begun to read the blogs of other people. I have learned some interesting things in the last couple weeks. I recently learned (thanks to the blog of Jim Karwisch) that there is something called a “NOW page” that is becoming more common on blogs. (I’ll be implementing this). I’ll also continue to find and read new blogs daily.
• I found a great article on Inc. that gives a list of 40 suggestions for daily learning. I signed up for the daily mailing lists of a few.

How are you being intentional about learning?

Craig