By Patricia Uyeh

Learning is continuous. There is always something new to learn. Education can show up in a conversation, a T .V review, seminar, excursion or through a novel. It is an ongoing process. Many companies offer professional development courses and understand the need to stay on our toes and grow outside of the area we are specialized in. Good initiative if you ask me.  Some of us do not have company funded courses at our disposal but, still desire to add value to ourselves. There are a dozen things that can be done to expand learning, they include:

1. Read outside your interest: Exploring subjects outside ones comfort zone  can help discover interests, build ideas and open up opportunities to be explored.

2. Discuss with smart people: “Iron sharpens iron” isn’t it? Seeking out with intelligent people and chatting them up,  can be eye-opening. Be drawn to people who are masters in their field and learn from them.

3. Ask all the questions: I heard that someone who asks questions never gets lost. Some questions might be considered silly but ask anyway. Anyone who makes you feel bad for asking a question for  clarity or gain insight, isn’t someone you want to be talking to for long.

4. Move away from your comfort zones: Be daring. It does not matter what you do to branch out. It is the branching out and stretching your mind that is the main goal.

5. Alter your routine: With the same routine daily, you are bound to get bored. You could try out a new food, listen to a new artist, take a new route, solve bigger problems etc.  Venturing out and mixing up the order in which you do things, has powerful impact on the brain and your conversations too.

6.  Create something: Try out something you wouldn’t normally do that shows creativity e.g a handwritten card, a blog or a personal website or even a bookshelf of books. The whole idea is to do something creative with your hands.

7.Listen to a pod cast:  From political discussions, to food recipes, to relationship advice or even  financial intelligence, there is a podcast for you. You could listen as you commute to work or washing the dishes. Just find yourself learning without making so much efforts.

8.Subscribe to Newsletters: Want to know the great thing about getting those newsletter delivered straight into your inbox? Choose sites you are extremely excited about and the ones you’re mildly interested in and then, read at your leisure or don’t, depending on what gets your attention.  So get going and learn all you  can.

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