How to learn something new everyday? 🎓
Who says you need to make a trip to the library or enrol in a proper class to learn something new? It’s no stranger to us that the brain is one humongous sponge ready to soak up new information everyday. But did you know that much like your biceps and abs, your brain is also a muscle you can exercise? The best part is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money or time to do that.
Here are 4 simple (and FREE!) ways you can incorporate learning into your daily life.
1. Learning On the Go 📱🚌
Download free mobile applications that deliver easily digestable content you can bring with you anywhere!
Spice up your boring daily commute by learning about basic programming, marketing, or even a new language through free mobile apps. The best part about them is you can learn at your own pace, pause any lesson and go back to it anytime you want. Here are some apps I enjoy:
Mimo (https://getmimo.com)
Want to learn computer science but haven’t got the time to enroll in a proper lesson? Mimo teaches you basic programming, mobile app development and even cyber security through a gamified and interactive way. What I like most is the adorable graphics and easy to follow steps which makes learning something complex very effortless.
Primer (https://www.yourprimer.com)
If you want to know more about anything business or digital marketing related, Primer is a great way to start. All lessons take up only 5 minutes of your time and you can choose to learn anything from Business Operations, Brand Identity to Marketing and Measurement. Although the lessons are pretty simple and basic, it’s a comfortable introduction to any of the topics.
Udemy (https://www.udemy.com/mobile)
Looking for something more specific such as graphic design, photography or even music? Udemy has a hundred over free courses you can subscribe to and their mobile app version makes learning very convenient. Apart from following through each video lesson, some courses also offer useful accompanying resources and to supplement your learning.
2. Listen and Learn 👂🏼📣
Need a break from staring at your phone screen? Tune in to free podcasts while keeping your hands free to do other things.
Most of us plug in to our favourite Spotify tracks to keep ourselves entertained on our commute home or to work. Why not give a shot at tuning in to podcasts instead? I enjoy listening to podcasts especially when I’m doing mundane household chores or when i’m on the train alone. The multi-tasking warrior in me loves that I’m optimizing my time while learning something new. It wasn’t easy to shorlist my favourites but here are some I enjoy:
RadioLab (https://www.wnycstudios.org/shows/radiolab)
I was hooked on podcasting after listening to my first ever episode about Henry Heimlich who invented the Heimlich maneuver that rescued millions from choking to death. Apart from featuring interesting stories, their episodes also approach scientific and philisophical issues in a very auditorily engaging and light-hearted manner. Due to the nature of their storytelling style and depth of each topic, each episode ranges from 20 to 40 minutes long.
Optimal Living Daily (http://oldpodcast.com)
Keen to learn more about self-development, productivity or building better habits but only have 5 minutes? Justin Malik, the narrator from Optimal Living Daily makes this easy peasy for you as he curates and reads various blogposts for you, so you don’t have to yourself. I find myself tuning in when I need a quick burst of useful knowledge when I only have a few minutes to spare.
How I Built This (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this) If you are curious to hear about the stories behind some of the most successful entrepreneurs, this is right up your alley. What I appreciate most is the organic and honest conversations the host, Guy Raz, has with his guests. Spare about 30 to 50 minutes of your time and you’ll gain so much from the entrepreneurs who built Instagram, Starbucks, Airbnb, TRX and many others.
3. Join a Learning Community 👫👭👬
Get together with a group of friends to learn collectively and keep each other accountable for!
Tried learning on your own but never getting any progress or just find it hard to stay motivated? Why not join a group to meet new people and learn something unexpected? At Praxium, we started this casual learning and sharing nights where we invite anyone to join us. It’s basically like a ‘pot-luck’ style meet-up, except that instead of bringing food to the table, we each bring a nugget of knowledge or skill we want to teach others.
At first it might sound a little intimidating, especially for someone who is not professionally trained to teach. But after my first session, it started to get easier! What kept me excited everytime is the fact that I get to learn very unexpected things that are always interesting.
MegaMind Learning Day by Praxium
We’re having our very first open session on 14 July 2018, get your tickets here— https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/megamind-mega-learning-day-tickets-47204742656#tickets
4. Keep an Open Mind
Break away from your usual routine and simply put on an inquisitive lens to observe your surroundings.
Learning doesn’t have to be confined to these 3 steps above and doesn’t necessarily have to be a deliberate act of reading a book or watching an educational video. Simply switching up your daily routine and staying curious about things around you can help you learn something different about yourself and this world.
So there you have it, 4 easy and free ways you can learn something new everyday. Learning has never been easier and it’s really up to you to take that first step. All the best and I hope these tips have been useful!
For more information about MegaMind Learning day, feel free to drop me an email at alicia@praxium.sg. Cheers! 🙂👍🏻
