The older we get, the less we may remember and the more important it can be to keep our brain active. For this reason, I think all of us over 60 or maybe younger should learn something new every day, or at least once a week.
I don’t actually learn something every day, but I try to learn something new as often as possible. So some months, I may learn 30/31 new things. Other months less and maybe others more. By learning new things, we keep our minds working and, hopefully, our bodies moving.
Where to start
There are so many places that have information available to you. At a senior center, you may end up talking to a veteran and learn more than you already knew about the Vietnam war. By going to the library, you can check out a book about a subject you don’t know anything about. At a community college, you can sign up for a class that helps you reach beyond the knowledge you already have.
Every museum or art gallery you visit should add to your knowledge. And if you travel to other states, you are bound to learn new things. Even if you are learning things like tiny Solvang has the largest Wind Harp in California or Victoria Island, British Columbia, Canada has two beautiful tourist attractions in Butchart Gardens and Victoria Butterfly Gardens, you are still learning something new. Even though it is an island and not attached to British Columbia, Victoria is the capital of British Columbia.
What can you learn?
I personally have learned how to do things I never thought I could do, because of blogging.
If you volunteer at an elementary school as a tutor or yard duty person, you are bound to learn a lot from the children. And if you work for a school library or cafeteria, you may earn more from the students about their current interests than you care to know.
By listening to the news, you can learn about what is happening in your community. At this point in my television watching, I have learned that what you watch in the world news on a regular channel may lack information. Some of that is the choice of the station or the reporters.
Heard a new word? Look up the meaning and spelling. Start using it, if it makes sense in talking to people.
Make it a goal
I have given you the suggestion of learning something new every day. I think in some way we do that every day, without realizing it. For example, I saw a person walk by my house a few days ago that appeared to be roughly my age. I realized that if I were outside at that time, I might have been able to start walking with her. I have a fear of walking alone since I fall so much. It would be great to have someone to walk with me.
Today, watching the news, I learned a few new things in my area and across the country and the world. So I would suggest making a list and adding to it everything you have learned each month. You might be really surprised by how much you are learning each day. Unless, of course, you are staying in your home, not watching the news, not talking to other people. Then it would be best if you really were making a point of learning something new each day.
10 Things I have learned in the last 12 months
- Different state governors handled Covid-19 differently, with good or bad results, depending on their decisions.
- If you want to see something you were looking at on your computer recently, hit the control key and the H key to see your History. But, of course, maybe everyone but me already knew that.
- We are having another drought year in California, which results in rationing water, sort of, and more wildfires.
- The Communist Party will celebrate its 100th anniversary on July 1.
- Robo phone calls have gotten worse. I was called by one saying I was going to be arrested for bank fraud. Seriously?
- Being an executor of an estate is harder than I ever imagined.
- Losing my mom has been a lot harder than I could have imagined.
- I don’t understand what Keto is, but I feel like I’m the only one that doesn’t do it.
- TV stations can cancel a show, even if it’s successful. So good-bye Manifest, the last show I will ever start watching and get addicted to, and it never is finalized.
- It’s possible to become friends with strangers who are bloggers. At least I feel like they are my friends.
Learn something new every day challenge
So my challenge is for you to keep track of new things you learn for a month. Try to learn something new every day for a month. See how much you are learning unintentionally and intentionally. I have a little notebook that I recently purchased that I’m using for my list. I’ve never written them down before, but I know I have been learning a lot in the last two years. Do you keep learning things regularly? What are some of the things you have learned recently? Will you accept the challenge? Please let me know in the reply section below. Maybe you can teach me something new. Thank you.
