Have you ever experienced the joy of learning – discovering what you don’t know? I have! Pursuing my informal liberal arts education
has given me that precious gift. These days, I find myself pulling away
from popular blogs – A-List bloggers whose writing I once enjoyed –
because of their sameness. Many people are saying the same things, and
each of us can fall into that trap. With so much content, how can you
rise to the top? Similarly, in the context of work, how can you
differentiate yourself from your peers? I think the answer partially
lies in learning new things, but the story doesn’t end there, because
information is not power. You have to transform and apply the new
learning so that it is valuable to your clients. And that’s easier to
say than to do, but do not let that stop you.
Imagine your ideal job, what would you be doing, and what skills
would you be using? Do you possess those skills, or do you have to get
additional training? I think, to experience the joy of learning and
discovering more of what you don’t know, can make you more marketable.
But what you learn, and applying the new-found knowledge, will transform
your life, only if it addresses the needs of your clients. How can you
figure out what people need and then give it to them? When you figure
that out, please let me know. We are living in a state of flux, where
things are changing constantly, so what works today may no longer work
tomorrow. Although we may not know exactly what people want, there are
always some clues that will give us insights, but we have to be aware of
our environment, and we have to practice active listening. What are
clients saying to you? What kind of chatter is taking place on the
internet? What are the futurists saying?
Now, having said that, for me, I have to manage the personal with the
professional. That means, when it comes to learning, I have to balance
the courses that I am taking, therefore I have to take some courses for
fun and others for professional development. For you, only you can
decide which mix is best for you, but there is truth to the adage, “All
work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” I think that the joy of
learning comes from the discoveries that occur along the way.
I am really enjoying my informal liberal arts education. I initially
had some missteps when I first started, when I chose only courses that I
was personally interested in. Thankfully, at some point, I had the
foresight to include courses that would make me more valuable to myself
and to my clients. I have learned the importance of working in and on my
business simultaneously, so I am allotting time for each. If you are
working for an organization, are you making sure that you are both
working in and on your career? Investing so much time and energy into
taking courses that I am not receiving credit for must have other
payoffs to make it worthwhile, and as I have written about before, I
have five outcomes to achieve at the end of my informal liberal arts
education.
Going through the process of taking an informal liberal arts
education is shaping my thinking. But what I have also noticed, is that
while I am taking courses to fill a skills gap, I am learning critical
information, and I am constantly reminded that I don’t know what I don’t
know. I am itching to start writing my book about my journey toward a
liberal arts education, but I am holding myself back for two weeks
because adequate preparation can go a long way. I have to read through
all my notes and do the deep thinking that I am capable of to generate
meaning insights.
Learning can be a lot of fun if you approach it with the correct
mindset and have a good instructor that delivers information that can
change your life. For example, I found a course called Critical Reading
and Writing, and for the work I do, I asked myself, how can you go wrong
with a course like that? It turns out that the course is actually a
grammar course, and the instructor, Carole Greene, uses art history to
teach it. She is also an artist, so she brings the course to life by
showing Johannes Vermeer’s painting. I found the course fascinating,
invested 20 hours of my time, and believe that my life has been enriched
as a result of taking the course. Greene uses two textbooks in the
course, which include sections from Girl With a Pearl Earring: A Novel by Tracy Chevalier and Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland. Both of the books are about the artist Johannes Vermeer.
Not much is known about Johannes Vermeer, but based on research, the
authors try to recreate his life. At the end of the course – a really
good grammar course – I got a good taste of the two novels, and I
intrigued enough that I want to read both books. Although Carol Greene
is teaching grammar, she brings a dry topic to life and engages her
students in the process. By taking this class, I realized that any topic
can be interesting if the teacher is creative in her delivery.
I am always harping about reading and taking courses because I
believe continuous learning is so vital today. And with so much free
courses online, I am sure anyone can find a subject matter delivered in a
format that’s right for him/her. When you take courses to fill a skills
gap, you will realize, like I did, that you don’t know what you don’t
know, and that is the joy of learning.
Source: http://theinvisiblementor.com/the-joy-of-learning-discovering-dont-know/
