Have you ever noticed how children are always excited (usually) about learning something new? Well, maybe not in the classroom all the time LOL, but when they see something new, they become quite curious.  Why can’t it be the same with adults. I guess we think we know everything, and perhaps we do.  We DO know that trignometry didn’t really help us in the “real world”. We DO know that after graduation we never had to diagram another sentence. But I guess we have to admit that some of the things we did learn in school, really did help us as we grew older….maybe.

Now that we can make a choice to learn, why not be effective at it?   In this article, 7 Keys to Becoming a More Effective Lifelong  Learner, the discussion is not about becoming a lifelong learner…. it’s about become an effective lifelong learner.  The 7 keys aren’t anything earth shattering, they are so simple:

1. Commit
2. Make Time
3. Get Organized
4. Repeat it
5. Don’t over do it
6. Sleep well
7. Relax

I guess my point is – what’s different about committing to effective learning than any other goal? I for one know the abundance of information on the Internet can be overwhelming. Think about all of the new internet marketing methods you have read about, do you know which way to go or who to believe?  Think about all of the weight loss secrets and all of the “one simple tricks” for teeth whitening. If you have a health issue, you probably found about 100 solutions or 100 more questions about it.

We consume information, and are always learning (directly or indirectly).  But when it’s time to choose what we want to learn, we can be successful by following the same methods as we do for any other goals we may have.