As an adult learner I experienced some serious reservations about going back to school. “I do not have a good memory, I am a terrible test taker, I am not smart enough”, were just some of the incessant comments my mind was telling me. But I know we can override the disparaging voices in our heads so I found some evidence-based reminders. In his podcast about becoming a fast learner, Jim Kwik says, “If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them.” Why would we want to fight for our limitations? That sounds positively dreadful. I think the human mind is made for optimization and it is up to us to program ourselves to think in these terms. Knowledge really is power and if we put our minds in a position to think like a leader, we can accomplish anything we set our minds to (Power effects on instrumental learning: Evidence from the brain and behavior) In order to optimize our learning brain we need to follow some golden rules. First and most important we must believe in ourselves and in our learning pursuits. We cannot give up no matter how hard it seems. Second we need to be active in how we approach learning. We must experiment and practice learning styles and exercises that strengthen and stretch the mind. And last but not least we need to perform above and beyond our current circumstance and mindsets. We must carry out each assignment and fulfill the requirements.
Belief
We are all capable of more then we give ourselves credit for. If we want to change our life, we must first change our thoughts (Dwyer, W. 2007) as author Dr. Wayne Dwyer learned on his quest for living with the wisdom of the Tao. Our brain functions are based on our lifelong patterns and habits. We grow accustomed to our belief driven behavior even if those beliefs are limiting because it is comfortable. But if we delve deeper below the critical faculty of our mind we can find a way to get our thoughts congruent with our desires. We can learn at rapid rates, we can remember facts, names and numbers. “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” is one of the most famous quotes by Henry Ford for a reason. We need to steer away from the fixed mindset that our intelligence is limited and we are stuck where we are. It is simply not true. In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Stanford Professor Carols S Dweck spent over 20 years researching the idea that we are divided into two groups, those with a fixed mindset and those with a “growth” mindset. For those of us with a growth mindset we truly believe our learning capabilities, our intelligence and our competence are unlimited and we continue to learn new things every single day.
Action
Our thoughts are also what lead us into action. Learning is a whole body process: a commitment of the self to the self to be better and greater than we are. To learn we must be active. In a society filled with over stimuli it is easy to get distracted. We have to train ourselves to be persistent and consistent. Paraphrasing is a great way to absorb information we are learning. Also to share what we are learning with others is another great way to plant the information seeds into your memory for recall later when you need it. We must also be active in our lives by getting proper rest, taking breaks and eating healthy (Covey pp. 46-47). I find that drive comes from caring and caring will illicit action. If we focus on why we are doing what we are doing we give it meaning and that sets us up for success.
Perform
We must be actively involved in the process of learning. The daily tasks we perform aide in the creation and absorption of new information to the brain. We should change HAVE to DO in our vocabulary and in our actions. We do not havefocus; we dofocus. We do not havecreativity; we docreate etc. Keeping our mindsets in a state of doing also keeps our learning brain active. We need to train ourselves to think in this manner because there is no such thing as a good memory or bad memory there is just a trained memory or an untrained memory (Kwik Brain audio podcast). An important element to learning that I do not think gets enough recognition is the ability to forget. We need to remember the importance of emptying our cups so that we have more room for new information. Letting go of that which does not serve us makes room for the things that matter. Like when we wake up in the morning. We have a fresh mind and an open mind. One that is poised for new information and knowledge so our intentional actions should start with the beginning of each day. To win at the day we need to experience wins in the first hour of the day by getting up and sharpening our saws (Covey pp. 254- 290). Exercise plays an important role in our learning capabilities. Whenwe are physically active we will feel better and therefore we will do better. What is good for our body is good for our mind.
Just like our bodies will do what we ask of it, our minds will do what we think with it. We must believe in our capabilities and have the courage to push ourselves to greater heights by studying, learning and implementing the successful skill sets taught by those who came before us. We must actively pursue knowledge by listening with our minds and our bodies while establishing a healthy learning environment and getting proper rest. We can be and do anything. If we keep doing the work, the positive outcome will follow. The confidence and attainability will assist us in optimizing our learning brains for success. By following some simple guidelines and adhering to the golden rules will lead to a golden mind with a plethora of a knowledge and truly optimized for success in school and in life.
References
Covey, S. (2018). The 7 habits of highly effective college students: Succeeding in college… and in life.
Franklin Covey Education, 08/2014. VitalBook file.
Dweck, C. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Penquin Random House LLC.
Dyer, W. (2007). Change your thoughts, change your life: Living the wisdom of the tao. Hay House
Australia Pry. Ltd.
Schmid, P. C., Hackel, Leor M., Amodio, David M. (2018) Power effects on instrumental learning:
Evidence from the brain and behaviorUS: Educational publishing foundation.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/mot0000088
Starecheski, L. (Producer). (2007, September 10). Goat on a cow[Audio
podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.radiolab.org/story/91518-goat-on-a-cow/