Are you a lifelong learner? Given that you are reading a blog like
Goodlife Zen, I’m betting that your answer to that question is a
resounding ‚”Yes, of course!‚” But here’s an important follow-up
question:
Are you always a successful lifelong learner?
Do you always achieve the learning goals you set for yourself? I know
I don’t. Happily, many of my failures are of the good kind, the ‘pick
yourself, dust yourself off, and try something different next time’
kind. But occasionally I find that, even though I am going through all
the motions, I don’t seem to make any real progress.
Why do we get stuck in ‘learning ruts’ like this? Here are five
powerful – and often hidden – forces that can hold us back in spite of
our desire to learn.
Consistency
Developing strong, consistent habits can be a very positive part of
personal growth, but as Ralph Waldo Emerson suggested long ago, our
lives are full of routines and rituals that we unconsciously adopt and
that often blind us to our real passion and purpose in life. This sort
of foolish consistency is what he famously labeled the ‘hobgoblin of little minds’.
Take a close look at even the most trivial of habits in your life. How did they become part of your routine? Are they truly yours,
or did you borrow them unconsciously from others? Do they serve a
higher purpose for you, or are they actually barriers to using your time
in more rewarding ways?
Step outside of them and you will open the doors to new learning.
