Michelle Gibbings* says there has never been a better time to upgrade the material you feed your brain.
Do you need to change your diet?
Before you hit the delete button wondering why I am writing about food, stop!
Don’t be confused. I’m not talking about what you eat.
I’m talking about the type of information you consume, and ultimately what and how much you learn.
As we all currently spend more time indoors, it’s the perfect time to focus on your learning appetite and learning diet.
It can be very easy at the moment to spend loads of time binge-watching Netflix, YouTube or TikTok videos.
They are all addictive. Indeed, the first time I got on TikTok it was a couple of hours before I got off it.
Consider for a moment, what makes up your learning; what you consume and how frequently you consume it.
Do you spend most of your time consuming meaningless TV or perhaps trashy novels, which is the equivalent of a ‘junk food’ diet?
Or do you seek a broad range of learning, so there is a mixture of sources that are entertaining, informative and challenging, which is the equivalent of a ‘whole food’ diet?
Is your appetite for learning limited, so you do the bare minimum, or are you always hungry and eager to know more?
In a world that is continuously changing, embracing learning in its many forms and experiences is crucial.
Your interest and willingness to learn new things impact the choices you can make and ultimately your success.
Is it time to either shift the type of material and information you consume or to consume more regularly?
Perhaps it’s a bit of both.
If you want to change your diet, consider buying a book on a topic that you have always wanted to know about, and is different from your day job.
Or watch YouTube videos on how to do something you’ve never done before.
Perhaps it’s a craft, learning how to use new technology or to speak a different language.
Or enrol in an online course on a topic that will broaden your field of view or deepen your understanding
Or subscribe to online news, so you get up-to-date information and knowledge from around the world.
If you want to consume more learning, more regularly, then look at how you structure your day so you can allocate time each week to learning.
If you are now spending more time indoors, it’s never been a better time to broaden your mind and take it to places it hasn’t been before.
There’s a Chinese Proverb which says: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
*Michelle Gibbings is a Melbourne-based change leadership, career expert and founder of Change Meridian. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared at changemeridian.com.au.
