How to Instantly Become a Strong Learner

You already are one. (That was pretty instant wasn't it?) At least at some things. And you're not so strong at learning other things.

But it's a great start, and more useful than you think. You should be smart and use this strength. Think about what you do outside of work. However you spend your time, you're learning something, most likely in a way that suits you perfectly. Otherwise you wouldn't be doing it. Outside of work is the perfect time for natural self-directed learning. Often you don't even realise you're learning.

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If you're online, you're learning something. Playing a computer game? You're learning. Maybe you're increasing your spatial awareness, your problem solving, or your creative thinking. Watching a movie? You're learning. Maybe you're learning the story, or about characters. Maybe you're taking away inspiration or lessons about people and life. Maybe you're picking up lessons about business. If you're using Twitter, you're learning about concise communication. And you're learning about what's going on out there in your network.

Turn it on it's head. Try to do something online without learning anything at all. Tricky hey?

The best thing too, is that you don't even realise you're learning when you do these things. You're almost in a state of flow. And you're definitely learning in more ways than you think. You're growing and developing your skills, knowledge and behaviours. These make you who you are, they form your outlook on life, they affect your thinking, which affects your decisions, which affect your actions and your results and rewards. This of course gets transferred back to your work too.

Of course you don't just have to be online to learn. Most activities you do outside of work, you're learning something about something too.

So what's my point here?

When you're in the driving seat, you're a strong learner. And you enjoy it. The problem lies when you have to learn something that you don't feel you want to learn, something apparently really complex, or when you have to learn something in a way that doesn't naturally suit you. And this problem is huge. Most organisations out there haven't yet worked this out. They still think that you should get told what you need to learn (usually so that they can have you doing things their way – not yours. They often fail to focus on important results but instead method). And most think that you should learn it in the way they make available to you. But they're wrong.

So my challenge to you, strong learner, is what are you going to do about it?

Here's my very best advice:

1. Get into your ideal career. In your ideal career, you're strong. And you're on the ball yourself about what you need to learn. You're also naturally drawn towards learning more and more about your work, through learning and experimentation. You're less likely to find things complex to learn, and if you still do then the first thing to question is your approach to learning them. Perhaps there's another way? Almost certainly. See step 2.

2. Learn how to learn effectively. It's a learnable skill. One way is to look at how you love to spend your time outside work (Computer games? Movies? Building things? Chatting away to people? Sitting and thinking? Reading?) Then find a way to combine this approach with what you need to learn. Get plenty of ideas down, then explore them. And consider learning various learning skills such as speed reading, range reading, mind mapping, memory skills, thinking skills and listening skills to name a few. Most people I work with who learn these are stunned by their new abilities.

3. Create a personal 'system' that has you applying what you learn in the right ways at the right times. You need help with this. Everyone does. People just aren't that great at applying what they learn. You need to capture the main ideas you've learned, practice them, and have them accessible and retrievable in the right places at the right times. A support system, tailored to your style is what you need. And everything becomes easier.

I can tell you one thing for sure. Your organisation or employer is likely to be slower than you are to get this right. You can turn quickly. They can't. Well…they won't. And it's you and your career and the rewards you earn that suffers. If you're reading this, I urge you to get in the driving seat and steer yourself in the right career direction, making progress your way for your benefit. Time's ticking (and it ticks faster as you get older doesn't it?)

If you have any comments or tips on how to do this, I'd love to hear them below. And if you think others would like this article, please share it.

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