Squats, deadlifts, presses, push ups, pull ups, lunges, curls, sit ups….reading? Exercising is not just for the body, it should also include the mind. Do you actively workout your brain?
I am not talking about doing those quizzes online, “who would you be if you were a cartoon?” “ who is your spirit animal?” “what does your choice in footwear say about your future?” No, not at all. I am also not referring to your level of brilliance in ‘words with friends’. I am also not talking about learning what your boss wants you to learn and know. I am really getting at the fact that;
your brains need to be exercised just like the rest of your busy muscles.
We have just got back from an amazing conference. Two days of listening, taking notes, masterminds, so much learning. I was never really interested in boring business stuff, until, it wasn’t so boring anymore because I wanted to learn more about how to make myself grow mentally and apply that to my own business.
I married a man who was never employed for very long. He was always wanting to be his own boss and has been an entrepreneur for most of his adult life. It really is a different way of life on so many levels. The biggest one, in my opinion, is that his mind never stops processing things for his job because all aspects of that job are ultimately up to him. When you have a boss, you have the luxury of leaving your job at your job. As a result, Doug has always been a constant learner.
But, even if you work for somebody else, you can and should be learning all the time. The best part about having somebody else calling the shots in the day is that you get to choose what you do with your own spare learning. The options are then totally endless.
When you are planning to make changes in your world any changes, it opens up the option to learning new and different things, and the options really are endless.
- If you are planning on a new workout routine, learn what you can about training styles.
- If you are planning on changing your eating routine, learn about nutrition and ways to prepare your food.
- If you are planning on a new hobby, explore the options. When you pick one, learn all you can about it.
- If you are wanting to join a club, group, organization, investigate it.
- If you are wanting travel, find out all you can about your options, cultures, weather changes, politics.
Really, there should never be a time that there is nothing to learn. We should always be open to continued learning. We are no longer in school, so stop thinking in terms of that brick building that you were forced to be in. Start realizing that now, you can learn when, where, how, and whatever you want.
There are a lot of people that ‘hate’ the idea of going back to school, but you need to rethink about the fact that you are likely learning new things all the time, maybe it’s about time to choose what you will be learning. Take some of that time you have and open your horizons just a little.
The amount of active learning really is up to you. Simply doing something new, will open up the possibilities for learning. Picking up a book and reading, even if it’s a novel will expose your mind to new thought. The most important thing is to be open to the new. As we age, it is harder for us to learn, but not impossible.
So, make a point of thinking about something that has always interested you. Gardening, cooking, knitting, photography, dog obedience, hockey, travel, languages, sewing, woodwork and so on and so on. Just learn one new thing a day, every day, each day. You will become a way more interesting person and will grow in ways you can’t even imagine.
Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. -Pele
