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David O's avatar

I dusted off my old psychology degree and recalled three important principles I learned in a course called “Psychology of Learning”:

1. Learning new things is hard, but unlearning old things that stand in your way is harder. There’s a good example in running - easy to learn a new cadence, much harder to unlearn your old one.

2. The ability to learn improves with practice. Make a deliberate point of learning something new every day. At the end of the day consciously ask yourself “what did I learn today?” so you can keep on track.

3. Continuous learning reduces the likelihood of mental decay later in life. Exercise the brain even more intensely than you exercise your body.

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Derek H's avatar

I graduated college with a BS in Actuarial Science, and the one thing I learned beyond all doubt is that I didn't want to be an actuary. So I worked in restaurants until I figured out what to do next. At 28 years old, that hadn't happened yet, so I committed myself to make it happen. Every morning I resolved to do at least one thing toward getting out of food service and into something I would love. Just one thing every single day, no matter how small, like finding a good jobs/career article to add to my reading list, or putting a stamp on an envelope to a graduate program. I did that every day for months and months. Six months later, I was admitted to a Masters program. Six months after that, I had an assistantship to help pay for school. A year later, I was admitted to a doctoral program, and six years after that, I had a PhD and a job as a professor, a dream I had since the 5th grade.

It's like half marathon training: the little bits do add up. You'll have bad days and setbacks, and you might need to find others to help you sometimes, but by being consistent and persistent, you can overcome it all and change your life.

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