Learn Something New: The Whys and Hows of Learning New Things Every Day

After leaving school, we tend to stop learning more intentionally. Sure, we never actually stop acquiring new knowledge as we continue moving through life, but we don't always exert effort to learn something new.

This is not a good thing, for various reasons. And we're going to talk about why it's important to learn something new every day, and how to get started if you haven't done so.

As we grow older, our brain's capacity to learn something new decreases. However, this doesn't mean that our intelligence is deteriorating as time passes. If anything, research has shown that a certain type of intelligence tends to increase with age. It is known as crystallized intelligence.

Crystallized intelligence is an integrated deductive skill that can only be acquired from experience. It's the opposite of fluid intelligence which is stronger when a person is younger. This is what we commonly think of when someone talks about being smart. Fluid intelligence determines how well a person can adapt to new environments and solve problems, regardless of how much knowledge they have.

Crystallized intelligence is the only type of intelligence that gets better as you continue through life. However, it is crucial to remember that this intelligence can only be honed if you learn something new every day. After all, if you grow older doing nothing but rote tasks each day, how can you expect to grow smarter every day?

Does this motivate you to start to learn something new? If it does and you're wondering how and where to start, here are some tips to get started on refining your crystallized intelligence with things to learn in your free time.

The beneficial effects of reading books cannot be overstated. People who learn something new from reading books have been found to remember what they learn more than what they learn from other media. If you want to start incorporating book-reading into your daily life, the best way to do it is by setting a milestone to achieve by each day. Perhaps you can start by reading 25 pages every day. Or, you can make a yearly goal of 52 books - one for each week. It's okay to mix up your reading materials; you can add fiction, non-fiction, or even magazines!

Let's say you're busy and you don't really have much time to sit down and read 52 books within a year. Well, why not try listening to podcasts instead? You can learn something new in 5 minutes by just listening to podcasts. Of course, there are longer podcasts if you're looking for something more in-depth. Better yet, you can multitask while doing this. Maybe you can listen to a podcast during your commute. Or, you can listen to one before bed. After all, research has found that after you learn something new, sleep can help you retain the new skill or knowledge you acquire.

Is it beneficial to learn a new foreign language if you don't have any aspirations to travel a lot? Certainly! Research has found that acquiring a second language (or third and more) increases your brain's neuroplasticity. What this means is, your brain is always ready to learn something new, regardless of how old you are, and it is better able to repair itself when damaged. There are all sorts of ways to learn a new foreign language, but we personally like doing it by watching movies in that language. You can also try the more traditional route by attending a class or downloading an application.

If you are a more active type, you should consider trying new types of physical activities. After all, research has shown that different types of exercise can affect your health differently. So, if you've been focusing on a lot of cardio-based exercises, maybe it's time to start some strength training. Try exercising outdoors as well, or even joining a marathon or local sports competition to challenge yourself further.

Trying out novel experiences allows you to learn something new every day. What better way to do that than to explore new places? It doesn't always mean you have to jet out to a new country where you don't know the language and can't navigate the city without a map application in hand. Sometimes, it means going to a new restaurant. Or going to a part of your city that you've never explored. What can you gain from doing this? Well, travel has been found in multiple research contexts to increase certain skills, such as effective communication, adaptability, and self-confidence.

The use of the internet is pretty ubiquitous these days, but we rarely use it to purposely learn something new online. Sure, we might accidentally stumble onto something that makes us attach a #TIL (#todayilearned) at the end of our social media post. But we rarely actually go online to find things to learn in our free time. It's time to change that. Rather than mindlessly watching cats rolling around on the floor compilation videos, why not watch a video of how cats give birth? Sometimes, learning something new doesn't mean doing something boring, it just means shifting your approach a little. Remember, research has shown that to learn something new, you must be emotionally receptive towards the subject. Negative emotions tend to decrease learning engagement, while positive emotions increase it. So, remember this whenever you feel frustrated when you're trying to learn something new.

Going online means you will inevitably be bombarded by various news headlines. And not all of them are even worth a skim through. Luckily, for most of us, you can choose what content you want to consume. With news articles, it is best to curate a feed for yourself. Refrain from adding sites you know are filled with clickbait titles and outrage-inducing content. It can take a while to do this, but you will learn something new every day if you read a news article about the goings-on of the world.

When you learn something new every day, you and everyone around you benefit from your new knowledge. And, unlike when you were at school, you can choose to only learn the things that interest you. There are unlimited ways to do this, and we've only touched upon several of them. So go out there and get started today!