Does your memory sometimes play tricks on you? Is your concentration not what it once was? Don’t worry: although they can be frustrating, these minor annoyances are part of the normal aging process… and they do not in any way prevent you from starting new learning adventures!
Did you know? Our brain never stops evolving; it integrates new knowledge throughout our whole lives. In other words, there’s no age limit on learnin! That means there’s room for new activities.
Enjoyment: a key to trying something new
As we age, we sometimes have a tendency to limit ourselves to a safe routine, avoiding new things… And yet, new things are what stimulate our brains the most! How can you rediscover your confidence in your abilities? How can you dare to go beyond your comfort zone?
Start by choosing an activity that inspires you! What have you wanted to try for a while? What is your passion? Watercolour painting? Italian cuisine? Urban photography? Astronomy? Theology? There are as many opportunities for learning as there are areas of interest.
Whatever activity you choose, it has to be something you enjoy. This is at the heart of learning, motivation and perseverance! It’s a well-known secret: when we do what we love, it’s easier to concentrate and we retain information better. Our knowledge and our skills develop naturally, until the point where we have comfortably mastered the discipline we have chosen… and found some wonderful self-confidence!
Tips to boost your learning
- Choose a time of day when you are the most alert to learn new things, such as in the morning.
- Divide the times you spend on the activity into short 15– to 30–minute blocks throughout the week and put them in your calendar.
- Use the “3 Ws” trick in your calendar notes: who, where and when.
- Do one thing at a time (make a meal OR talk to your guests, but not both at the same time!).
- Take notes during a lecture, class or presentation; this method helps us to integrate learning.
- Find a mentor (a friend or an expert) to support you in what you are doing, which will bolster your confidence and your motivation.
- Combine the activity with a daily habit, such as reading the newspaper or doing a crossword with your morning coffee: this is a good way to go outside your comfort zone… while staying within it!
“It is confidence in our bodies, minds, and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures.”
– Oprah Winfrey
Learn more
- Scientific American. Think You’re Too Old to Learn New Tricks?
- BBC. The Amazing Fertility of the Older Mind.
- Knute Nelson. The Cognitive Benefits of Lifelong Learning for Seniors.
