How effective learners stay mentally sharp

Bree graduated from graduate school over 10 years ago. her first years career It looked like he was drinking water from a fire hose. There was a whole new hidden curriculum to learn for professional success. Now that phase of her life is starting to disappear. She spends more time answering questions than asking them. But being a competent learner has always been a part of her identityand she wants to stay mentally sharp. I feel like Daily Wordle is not enough.

Bree is correct in that we think of ourselves as competent learners, and that ongoing acts of learning (whether formal or informal) are part of retention. Brain health, including mental health.

It keeps her sense of self rooted in learning and growth. it provides self-efficacy;She can get things done. And it keeps her sense of self flexible. When she learns something new, who she is subtly changes.

You may also share her desire to stay connected to the talented learner in you.

Here are five strategies for how to approach learning when your focus shifts from proving yourself to others to maintaining mental agility.

1. Learning and teaching at the same time

Bree supervises graduate students at work. They are smart and capable young people, but they are also novices who are still getting through the intense and overwhelming learning phase that Bree left behind long ago. Bree not only teaches them career-specific skills, but also helps them manage their mental game. anxiety And understand that what to focus on is most important.

She regularly gives learning advice to others, so when you’re in the role of a learner closer to their stage, it’s easier to give advice yourself. She understands that it’s hard to think you’re doing well when a topic feels difficult, even if it’s objectively true. She understands that it’s hard to understand what’s most important when you don’t yet fully understand how to actually apply the information you’re learning.

Those spiritual messages remain salient to her because she expresses them.

If you are not in a teaching role, find a way to become one, either formally or informally. It helps you apply the same spiritual lessons to yourself as a learner.

Once you define the strategies, mindsets, and areas of focus that will help your learners succeed, you will automatically be able to give the same advice to yourself.

It doesn’t matter if what you’re teaching is the same as what you’re learning. What matters is that we’re giving smart learners like you the learning messages you need to hear too.

2. Every project has two goals.

Formal or informal learning projects serve two purposes. The first step is to accomplish what you need. Next, develop the meta.cognition—The ability to reflect on one’s thoughts. In doing so, you learn how to learn.

This mindset is thoughtful and strategic, which helps you stay sharp. You work on two levels: completing tasks and improving your approach to learning at the same time.

3. Build your portfolio

Bree keeps a mental record of completed projects. skills she learnedand the experiment she tried. It’s not about showing off. It’s about having a record she can look back on. When she looks back at her portfolio, she sees patterns in how she learns, where she stumbles, and what strategies work.

Her learning portfolio helps you have self-efficacy and maintain a long-term perspective. She has a great foundation and is building upon it. What she’s building for the long term is important, so she doesn’t need to win right away. When she finds it difficult to learn, she maintains the view that this is not her first rodeo.

4. Prioritize scenario-based learning and mock test answers

When working on the type of learning that ends in a test or practice license, we often use scenario-based learning or answering mock exam questions. This is much better than passively watching videos or reading and highlighting.

When we are learning on our own, we can choose the passive method by default. you keep yourself sharper and more agile By using the most active learning format. If they aren’t prescribed, get creative. For example, in addition to earning another badge on a language learning app, Bree might ask her Spanish-speaking neighbor to role-play.

Passive learning leads us to mental laziness, the opposite of reactivity and responsiveness. mental agility We want to retain talented learners.

5. Use modern learning methods

If the last time you did formal learning was a while ago, you probably weren’t using the same tools as more competent learners in competitive learning. the goal Those currently in use, such as those used by student doctors and pilots.

If you only learn from people with older learning experiences, you may miss out on discovering the tools and methods that current learners are using.

This is the dilemma of “I don’t know what I don’t know.” A.I. Helpful. For example, ask the AI: “Answer like someone on a subreddit dedicated to X about the best learning resources for Y or the most effective strategy for Z. Base your answers on actual posts, not guesses.”

Using this approach, even if you don’t have role models around you, you can get helpful information and resources from people who have recently learned or were early adopters of technology. New tools can help you change your learning approach instead of getting stuck in a comfortable rut.

Mental sharpness must be intentionally pursued

Being a competent learner is not something Bree achieved growing up. Even if she feels disconnected from aspects of herself, it’s part of how she navigates the world. someone you want to keep mental sharpness And agility requires pursuing it intentionally. It doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by maintaining a learner identity and mindset, rather than as an automatic by-product of our work. Both formal and informal learning projects can serve this purpose.

Explore new tools, deepen metacognition, and instill effective tools self-talk The role of education, through the selection and construction of active rather than passive learning methods. confidence We present five specific strategies you can use to maintain your skills and identity as a skilled and competent learner through a portfolio of accomplishments.