Thomas Oppong identifies four habits of lifelong learners that are worth consideration as we think about self-directed learning. They are: 1) prioritize self-learning, 2) read voraciously, 3) maintain a list of things to learn, and 4) test your understanding of what you have learned.
The article provides some inspiring examples of lifelong learners by including famous and successful people who have these habits. It tends to emphasize the importance of reading and then also the importance of writing about what you have read.
The emphasis on reading and writing will appeal to those of us who are so disposed, and I include myself in that group. But what might be some alternatives for people who do not find reading and writing appealing? Are there other means of acquiring knowledge and then acting on it?
For example, some may find acquiring information from other people through interaction more appealing than reading books. This, reminds me of those who participated in salon society at a time when books were not so widely available. Such opportunities for interaction also provide avenues for making the acquired knowledge actionable by sharing it with others through conversation.
More contemporary opportunities for acquiring knowledge might be through media (audio, video), and, of course, these means also lend themselves to sharing if one has the skills in media creation.
A final option might be to immerse oneself in projects that require the acquisition and sharing of knowledge to move forward. Re-reading the examples in Oppong’s article makes it clear that some of the famous people cited are actually engaged in such projects.
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