Lifelong learning doesn’t have to mean taking classes on a topic. It can be much more hands on than that, if you want. There are all kinds of ways to learn new things. This is just a short list of ways you can learn for fun.
Fix Your Own Stuff
When easy repairs are needed at your home, learn how to fix them yourself instead of hiring someone to do it. Learn to change your oil and spark plugs, fix the block in the kitchen sink, get your lawn mower running better.
All of these things are doable for most of us…we just haven’t learned how to do them yet. Plus, you will save yourself some money!
Learn to Cook
Love French food, but rarely get it because French restaurants are expensive? Why not learn to cook it yourself? With the help of websites and videos on YouTube or Vimeo, anyone can now learn to cook any type of cuisine they want! Or how about watching cooking shows on TV and trying out interesting new recipes?
Learn a Language
There are lots of ways to learn a new language. You can purchase a program like Rosetta Stone, download inexpensive apps, take a course at a local community center or community college or even teach yourself with books, videos and DVD’s. Let’s say you hope to visit Italy one day. How cool would it be to be able to speak the language once you got there?
Take Up Geneology
It’s never been easier to find out about your ancestor’s history. There are online programs like Geneology.com and software like Family Tree Makers that give you access to all types of documents and information that would have been really challenging to access before the Internet. Much of the information is even free when you sign up for a free account.
Volunteer
You may not think of volunteering as a way to learn, but it is. When you volunteer, you get to do things you are already good at and enjoy, but you also have an opportunity to learn new ways to do things and develop new skills. And you may be surprised by how much you learn from the people you are helping!
Begin a New Hobby
There are lots of things to learn when you start a new hobby. Even an activity such as taking up long distance cycling needs skills that you may not at first think of. You will need to know how to do basic bike maintenance and read a map, for example.
Learning doesn’t need to be boring – it should be fun. Try something new that maybe you never thought you’d be able to do or interested in doing.
