Many of us remember the first day of class when our teacher would hand out a syllabus. It was kind of exciting and imposing at the same time. There in our hands we could see mapped out our next three months of learning. We would see the books we would be reading, the conversations we would be having, and how we would be assessed through writing, quizzes, and exams.
Syllabi always kept us focused on our learning and gave us direction. Now we need to make our own syllabi for life, because we are not on a semester schedule but a life schedule. We do not have anyone grading us but ourselves, so we need to develop good habits for lifelong learning.
How can we develop a process or habits for lifelong learning?
While we may have different learning styles and interests, there are five key habits that will help us learn throughout life.
Let’s look at these five habits for lifelong learning.
Read deeply, broadly, and openly.
What we read and how we read provides great opportunities for learning. None of us ever master a particular subject so we need to keep reading deeply in theology, biblical studies, and ministry. We should challenge ourselves by reading texts that require slow and careful reading to give us advanced knowledge. Also, we should read broadly outside of topics related to ministry to gain a better understanding of ideas that impact our world from economics to culture to politics to religion. Finally, reading openly means we intentionally pick up books that may offer an opinion with which we disagree. We all need to be in conversation with books that will deepen our learning, broaden our understanding, and open our minds to others.
Engage in new learning opportunities and methods.
We no longer limit our reading to books we hold in our hands. E-reader platforms make it possible to hold hundreds of books in our hands. Your local library allows you to check out books online to pick up later, and you can also check them out to read online. This is also true for audiobooks. YouTube and Vimeo type platforms offer powerful learning opportunities, as do podcasts and online certificate and degree programs. Simply stated, anyone with internet access has access to unlimited sources of knowledge. A lifelong learner takes advantage of every opportunity to learn.
Ask questions about everything you learn.
It seems like such a simple habit, doesn’t it? One challenge we all face today is access to non-vetted information. If a person has a smartphone and access to a social media platform, then it is possible to say anything which a reader may interpret as factual or true. This is also true when it comes to publishing books where someone may “self-publish” a book which may not have been thoroughly edited. Of course, this is true for many other places we get information from websites to television news. A basic premise for learning is to think carefully about what you are hearing. We have been doing it from grade school through all our education and now we need, more than ever, to be asking ourselves several questions as we learn. “How do I know this is true?” “What does this mean to me and to others?” “What is the agenda or purpose?” “What changes in my life if I accept this?”
Develop a new skill not related to your ministry.
You will be amazed at how taking up a craft or a hobby which has no direct connection to your professional life will help you learn. You will discover more about other people who dedicate themselves to that craft and you will find many applications for your own life. Whether it is learning a new language, trying your hand at turning wood on a lathe, putting your hands in the dirt, or restoring an old vehicle developing new skills will help every aspect of your learning.
Create a space to listen to yourself and others.
Learning is not fast. Memorizing things can be achieved quickly if you have a method, but deep learning takes time. Achieving the first four habits helps us grow and change and be more aware of how we benefit from listening to ourselves and to others. We discover that active listening requires the silence of both speaking and internal conversations. It means we humble ourselves and really listen to what we are thinking, but it also means opening ourselves up to hear what other people are truly saying. This active listening is a learning skill.
There you go. These five simple habits can create unending opportunities for lifelong learning. Our paths are all different and our interests vary, but the habits are the same. We need to be intentional in creating opportunities to learn through good lifelong learning habits.
