Five reasons continuous learning is important

As we move through our life and work journey, it can often feel like, "I've learned enough, haven't I?"

We've learned how to "adult"--we've figured out how to ensure our bills are paid on time; to take care of ourselves; do our current jobs effectively; to be a friend and relationship partner.

All of these took learning--often coupled with trial, and sometimes failure (small or big!). And we can reach a point where homeostasis--a conjugate of two Greek words, homeo (meaning similar) and stasis (meaning stable)--wants to exert its powerful influence on us.

But continuous learning is critical for adults.

Here are five reasons that continuous learning is so important:

1. It can increase brain health: As we age, the myelin--the substance that protects the nerve fibers in the brain along which nerve impulses travel, can start to degrade. This can lead to a degradation in cognitive abilities. When you stimulate the brain through continuous learning, it can help promote the creation of new connections between nerve cells--a process called neuroplasticity. In less technical terms, staying mentally engaged through continuous learning can help preserve--and may even enhance--cognitive function as we age.
2. It helps keep you relevant: Creating a practice of continuous learning through learning new skills and capabilities helps you remain relevant both within your current professional domain in the always-evolving technological landscape, as well as potentially offering you additional opportunities for advancement.
3. It protects you from volatility and uncertainty: We live in a time when technological advances like AI, economic factors like inflation, geopolitical events, and other factors are introducing unpredictable and sometimes huge changes in many professions. Continuous learning can help you be ready to pivot quickly if you are impacted by an unforeseen job change (such as a reduction in force), versus having to take time out of the workforce to learn new skills/technologies.
4. It helps develop a "curiosity mindset": A practice of continuous learning helps us develop a "curiosity mindset"--where we leverage the knowledge and experience we have while still remaining open and curious (vs. making assumptions). This can promote creativity and innovative thinking.
5. It can make you a better leader: When a leader adopts a practice of continuous learning and a "curiosity mindset", they can then help others develop the same capacity. This can have many benefits, including increasing team performance and engagement.

Okay, I'm sold. So how do I develop a continuous learning practice?

There are many ways that people can develop a continuous learning practice--and some can take as few as 10 minutes per day:

• Join a professional association and attend their workshops to deepen your knowledge. Engage in networking.
• Study a new language using an app like Duolingo or MemRise. (I did three Japanese lessons while on my morning walk today...and before you ask, no, I can't speak it yet. But I'm working on it!)
• Attend online workshops that have an interactive component
• Take a course in something professionally or personally relevant to you through a provider like Coursera or Udemy
• Read a book (or listen to an audiobook) on a topic you want to learn for 10-15 minutes each day
• Subscribe to podcasts that are talking about technical topics you want to learn about
• Watch TED talks
• Take a class in something you've always been interested in, but thought might challenge you (improv comedy; glassblowing; fly fishing)

"Every day is a school day."

This was spoken by a friend of mine. At face value, it's a simple phrase. But it's something to which we should all aspire. The potential benefits are huge.

How do you build your continuous learning practice? I'd love to hear your tips and tricks in the comments below!