Everyday is a school day so they say! But what have you learnt today and are you someone that looks for opportunities to learn, grow and develop?

I have always enjoyed learning but not always in the most conventional ways. As a person I much prefer to give it a go and then ask questions. As you can imagine this has resulted in one or two epic failures, yet I have learnt from those too!

How can we be intentional about growing and learning?  What can we do each day to help keep the grey matter exercised?  Here are 5 things I try to practice:

1. Read. Leaders are readers. Harry S Truman said ‘Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers!‘
   Reading is a great way to aid learning and thinking, whether it is a biography, crime thriller or even how to put that Ikea unit together! When we read we enable our mind to expand. Why not checkout my previous post on reading

2. Be a novice. We often feel comfortable when we are the ones who are in the ‘know’, have the knowledge and can do that thing. However, that can stop us growing. Putting yourself in a position where you are a novice, an amateur, someone who has to seek wisdom of others. Michelle Obama said ‘Just try new things.  Don’t be afraid.  Step out of your comfort zones and soar’.
   I have taken up DIY. I started with no knowledge but have grown in my understanding, skills and tool collection! I have had some excellent achievements such as:
   * Building a chest from pallets
   * Installing ceiling and wall lights
   * Fixing my car indicator stalk
   I have also failed:
   * Nearly flooding the bathroom
   * Wonky shelving
   * A door lock that works every third time!

3. Ask questions. In a world full of 240 characters updates, instastories and 60 second news, we can often forget to ask questions. This is a great way to grow and learn. There are always people and places that we can ask questions:
   * Ask grandparents, or parents about their childhood
   * Ask someone what is the best thing about their job
   * Ask a someone what hobbies they have and when did they first get into it.
   * Ask the person in front of you in a queue what they are going to order, cook etc.

4. Take a course. There are lots of online course and places to learn new things. Why not checkout FutureLearn for a free short course to learn something new. If that is not your thing, then checkout youtube, find something you are interested in and watch some video’s. TED Talks are another great place to learn new things.

5. Get a hobby. Not only does this help you learn something new but you can also meet some new people, gain new skills and get some space away from all the pressures or stresses of normal life. Joining a group can help develop great new friendships and can combat the growing issue of loneliness amongst people of all ages.
   And a bonus one….!

6. Share. Share what you have learnt with others! Not only does this help you cement your new found knowledge but it helps those around you grow and learn and gives you new things to talk about.  Proverbs 18:15 says ‘Intelligent people are always ready to learn.  Their ears are open for knowledge.’What ways are you going to grow and learn?

With thanks to Kieran Murphy who wrote this article, it first appeared on the website of Phase-hitchin.org in April 2018.