The One Week (but let’s get real, a lifetime) Learning Plan

Every day is an opportunity to learn things, but what our learning priorities today and are they different tomorrow?  I’ve recently reviewed a great web article:

http://www.developgoodhabits.com/new-skills-to-learn/

and below are the first 7 ideas that I’m processing for myself.  They will take more than 1 day each, so I’m thinking of them as a focus for this week and ONWARD HO!

1. Understand Yourself

Socrates says, as he did in Phaedrus, that people make themselves appear ridiculous when they are trying to know obscure things before they know themselves. Plato also alluded to the fact that understanding ‘thyself,’ would have a greater yielded factor of understanding the nature of a human being.

I know that I could improve Know Thyself every day.

2. Create the habit of cultivating new skills

The character of being open to learning new skills and creating this kind of ongoing personal energy is a habit.  I’ve had times in my life where my energy just wasn’t available to be cultivating new skills and learning new things.  So, every day think about what energy you are cultivating for yourself.  Are you keeping open?

3. Simplify

I love this goal.  What are the 5 most important things in my life?  Am I living my hour, day, week with those in mind.  And although trendy, the recent book by Marie Kondo “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and “The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck” by Sarah Knight were both truly life-changing for me.  I highly recommend these books.

4. Become organized

Similar to #3 but the next level.  Take care of the important things first.  Someone once said to me “Touch paper once.”  Meaning, do whatever you need to do with the paper immediately (pay a bill, take a picture of it).  A very great skill to develop.  I’m learning to  be organized so that I stop wasting time on non-important things.

5. Take Care of Yourself

Know that when you take care of yourself you can probably be more beneficail to everyone else.  I bit of Ayn Rand philosophy that I understand.

6. See What Genuinely Interests You

This ties in with #1, but may need a refresh on a regular basis.  Regroup with yourself regularly—is this my thing?  Am I willing to devote my precious time to this?  Does it feel right and right now?

7. Learn to Negotiate

Another one that I love.  Some of the most interesting and fun people that I have met have also been the best negotiators that I have met.  In many situations, it just takes the presence of mind to not answer too quickly.  And keep the negotiation positive for both.  Life is a series of negotiation—with yourself and others.  Make it a good experience.

This One Week Leaning Plan may be ambitious but I’m feeling positive about it.  What are you going to learn this week?