Life Long Learning - Confidence, Happiness, and Success

I acutely remember before sky-diving telling myself ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ (that book by Susan Jeffers inspired a lot of adventures, let me tell you). However, aside from jumping out of a small, propeller plane over Moab, Utah – what else can engaging in learning do for you? Want to get ahead in your career? Want to ride a mountain bike down a volcano? Swim with sharks? How about needing to implement some medical advice, shed some weight? Acquire skills and strategies? Become a qualified professional? ... Some of my greatest personal and professional accomplishments, experiences and memories are those in which I was faced with or sought out opportunities to learn. Indeed, at what point in life are we not required to adapt and learn?

A few weeks ago I was asked to do a live radio interview. Afterward, I requested the recording, and once I got it, I listened to it, an entire hour of it. Oh my! I sure did take the advice that “the radio can’t hear you nod”, very much to heart. I’m really so pleased I took the time to listen and reflect, using a ‘stop-start-continue’ approach. Here is what I did:

Stop: Verbally affirming the interviewer so frequently

Start: Take a notepad and pen to note the question and my thoughts

Continue: Keep the same energy and enthusiasm

Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing? If I’m being honest, following the interview, I was just pleased to have survived. I could have just left the experience there, but what would I have learned or gained? 

As humans, we aspire to be our best selves, but this doesn’t mean learning comes easily to us. This is why I appreciate wider organisational opportunities to engage in learning; like secondments, buddying, mentorship or joining a community of learners. Mentorship is awesome, I’m a big fan! Mentorship can provide guidance, support, and advice as you navigate both your personal and professional learning journey. Methods like the ‘stop-start-continue’ approach mentioned above are insightful, quick, and easy. I also highly recommend joining a community of learners, like LinkedIn Learning, which provides a space for you to connect with others who share your interests and goals and can provide valuable insights and inspiration. Having cheerleaders in your corner sure feels nice and the learning outcomes are even nicer!

From a workplace viewpoint, engaging in learning will help you stay relevant in the workforce, advance in your career, and well…empower you to actualize your potential and uniqueness. Don’t take my word for it! Research shows that people who spend time at work learning are:

47% less likely to be stressed

39% more likely to feel productive and successful

23% more ready to take on additional responsibilities, and,

21% more likely to feel confident and happy. (Bersin, 2018[i])

It gets even better, as the sum of individuals learning collectively contributes to the community, which in turn, has positive effects nationally, namely in happiness and health (Brawer, 2021[ii]).

One massively overlooked benefit of engaging in learning is that it helps you become more self-directed. This means that you take responsibility for your own learning, you set goals and you become active in seeking out opportunities to learn even more. Self-directed learning is important because it allows you to tailor it to your specific needs, preferences and interests. It puts you firmly in the driving seat. Last year I lost over 25 lbs.…Yup. My knees thank me daily for becoming self-directed!

It’s not ‘one-and-done’ though! It's important to remember that learning is an ongoing process so it is just as important to continuously reflect on learning, this is my current focus area. Ensure to spend more time reflecting on your learning to evaluate what works and what doesn't, and direct your energy and strategies accordingly. Reflecting also helps identify areas where you can improve and set goals for future learning.

Lastly, learning for personal gain is likely to lead to a much more fulfilling life which is of course, an entirely valid pursuit that you are wholeheartedly encouraged to follow. Whichever way you engage in learning, know that it is a truly powerful way to stay relevant, advance in your career, help you develop, become more self-directed, find a like-minded community, and improve your confidence, and happiness.

 Continue the conversation below and check out the Civil Service College’s MEGA Core Competencies Challenge this September to November to learn even more about making engagement a way of life.