I am addicted to learning. I would guess I was born this way. As far backs I can remember, I wanted to know more and do more.
My learning memories include:
- < 2 years old – self potty trained, talking, climbing walls, escaping the baby gate
- <4 years old – speak Spanish, read, write, blow bubblegum bubbles, ride a bike, swim
- 5 to 18 years old – school subjects, ceramics, weight lifting, running
- College years – wrestling, college courses
- Post college – computer repair, networking, sales, public speaking, presentation development, managing, etc.
During all of these years, I wasn’t actively pursuing learning, I was pursuing some other end objective. Learning was the means to get there.
In my early 40s, I had reached a sticking point in my fitness. Despite doing everything I knew, I was no longer progressing. I needed to lose weight. I wasn’t getting stronger. I hadn’t achieved the goals I wanted.
So I gave up and bought a book called “The Book of Muscle” by Ian King (a professional weight lifting coach) and followed the weight lifting program exactly as it was written. To my surprise I got stringer and dropped a few pounds. I bought his 2nd book, followed it religiously and got even stronger. I learned some new exercises (powerlifting and Olympic lifting) but got injured from overdoing it.
That drove me to discover a new type of training called Functional Fitness. For the next 5 years, I moved from traditional weight lifting to kettlebells, sled dragging, sandbags and other sports related training techniques.
Then I got stuck again. I was 30 pounds lighter and more fit, but felt stiff a lot and would injure my lower back every few months.
I wanted to learn how to move gracefully and found GMB Fitness.
It changed my life.
I became lean, fitter, graceful and acrobatic. I learned to do handstands, cartwheels and even tried flips (but failed there). I got in the best shop of my life and maintained it ever since.
What I learned from this fitness journey was that I enjoyed the process of learning itself.
Since then I’ve learned much more:
- How to build an off grid electrical system for my road trip
- How to find free camping sites for boon-docking all over the US
- How to live off grid in the wilderness and how to re-enter society
- How to stain furniture
- How to install appliances
- How to repair drywall
- How to do impressionistic oil paintings
- How to play the drums with syncopation and complex beats
- How to create a blog site and write
- How to replace door lock actuators in my cars.
- How to run a small consulting business
- How to live alone successfully
- How to draw (just starting this one)
- How to speak French (just starting this one)
- How to date and make new friends (after a long marriage and being widowed)
Now I actively seek things to learn. My process goes something like this:
- I get curious. Something sparks my interest – either an actual need (I need paintings for my walls) or I observe something that I admire (like this guy). I start researching it.
- I make an attempt. Occasionally, it goes better than I expected (staining cabinets), most times my results are quite awful.
- I start to learn. I study. I follow tutorials and programs. I start to learn the rudiments.
- I get frustrated. My “progress” is slow. Everything that I thought was going to be easy, is not. My paintings look like a kindergartener did them. My blog posts are dull and repetitive. My web site crashes. My dishwasher leaks. My drumming sucks.
- I learn the rudiments. Everything I do is slower, lamer and primitive compared to the masters, but I am beginning to at least achieve some base level of skills.
- I progress to semi-competent and then competent. Through practice and pushing through repeat failures I begin to “see” what is causing my failures. I address the causes and become a semi-skilled amateur.
- Proficient (enough) – I reach a level of progress where I am satisfied that I have learned something to an acceptable level. Sometimes I will remain here. Other times, if I am still interested I will focus on advanced skills repeating steps 1-7.
- Relaxed. I feel this at times throughout steps 5 – 7. Once I reach proficiency, then I find myself in the “flow” when drumming, painting, repairing, writing etc. I start to look forward to the activity because it relaxes me and empties my mind. I find peace as well as the pride of accomplishment.
I wish I would have realized how much I enjoy the process of learning much earlier in life. If I had, I would have focused on learning and attempting more diverse activities throughout my life, instead of being so focused on career, money and security.
I would have stopped watching TV when I was 17.
I would have learned to speak a foreign language and traveled more (I think).
I would have become a more well rounded human.
But, like all of my wishes, this wish is irrelevant.
I take solace in the fact that I have the time, energy and interest to pursue learning now.