Reignite Learning

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By Pamela Odukoya

The holiday season, with its wide range of activities and time off work, provided a unique opportunity to learn new skills, develop current skills, and share knowledge with friends, family, and colleagues. I took advantage of this time and reignited my learning journey.

What about you? Did you find time to learn, develop or share your skills or knowledge? I would love to hear about your experience.

Image: Yay Images

I utilized my budgeting and planning skills to organize events for family and friends. The excitement of setting up polls and quizzes through various apps made the planning process much more effective and enjoyable. Seeing everyone engaged and happy was truly rewarding. I supported the group to stay within the budget by suggesting creative ways to save money without compromising on quality, such as using coupons and buying from market stalls. I also encouraged them to use budgeting apps to record and monitor their expenses. It was rewarding to see everyone engaged and having fun.

One of the highlights was meeting someone who showcased her creativity by decorating a venue for an event. This was her first experience, and the outcome was impressive. She shared with me that she discovered a newfound passion for event decoration, which has since become an exciting way for her creativity to flourish.

I appreciate that some people may not have the capacity or resources to learn, develop, or share their skills during the last holiday season.

Kudos to everyone who took the time during the holidays to learn, develop, and share their skills. This is a true reflection of your growth mindset. A growth mindset helps to keep your cognition sharp, unleash your hidden talents, and enhance your well-being.

As a careers coach, I believe that learning, developing, and sharing skills in a non-work environment promotes safe communal learning, strengthens bonds within your network, and uncovers hidden talents. This aligns with Leonardo da Vinci’s view that “Learning never exhausts the mind.”

If you are looking for inspiration on how to use the next holiday season to engage in a learning activity, here are a few tips:

1. Leverage AI tools to generate ideas

By using clear and specific prompts, AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini can provide you with fresh and inspirational ideas. The eight prompts below are useful starting points for you to customize by replacing the “X” to match your situation.

• I value “x,” Suggest a 10-hour learning plan to help me expand my knowledge.
• I did “x” many years ago; Suggest five things I could do to reignite my interest.
• I have “X days” free. Create a learning plan to help me develop my skills and knowledge around the following topics “X” “X” “X.”
• Suggest resources for beginners that I can use to develop my knowledge about “X”
• Suggest five journals and magazines I can subscribe to enhance my interest in “X.”
• Suggest five bold learning activities I could do to gain mastery in “X.”
• Suggest five experts in the field of “X” that I can connect with on LinkedIn.
• Suggest the latest books about “X topic.”

2. Collaborate with others

This can include collaborating on projects relating to your area of interest, joining interest groups, and participating in networking activities.

3. Volunteer

According to a survey by the National Council for Voluntary Organization in the UK, (NCVO), 77% of volunteers reported that volunteering improved their mental health. This figure underscores the benefits of volunteering. It is indeed a rewarding way to share your skills and knowledge. You can find opportunities in your area from your local library and websites such as Volunteer Match, Volunteer Match and Reach Volunteering Reach Volunteering UK.

Learning sharpens cognition, uncovers hidden talents, and enhances overall well-being. With the abundance of learning opportunities available, there has never been a better time to embrace it. Embracing learning is essential for both personal and career development. It is important to find ways to continue learning even in busy or exciting times. I would suggest bite-sized learning and incremental steps. As Ralph Smedley said, “We learn best in moments of enjoyment.”

With only 100 days until the next holiday season, this gives you time to schedule a learning activity. So, what will you start with?

      Pamela Odukoya is a career coach, trainer, and leader with over 20 years of experience. She is also a member of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organization that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland.

You can learn more at her Calabash Careers Coaching site.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post or content are those of the authors or the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.