After binge-watching all the movies and series on your favorite streaming service, cleaning your house, and tinkering with your vehicle, what else can you do while at home? When you’ve exhausted all your options to kill time, learning a new skill isn’t a bad idea. Being an autodidact or self-learning person is something you can easily do from the comforts of your own home. The new skills you’ve gained will be a plus for your career.
However, before signing up for an online course, here are some useful suggestions on how to succeed at self-learning:
Self-discipline Is the Key
The most vital component of learning on your own is discipline. Imposing self-discipline is challenging, especially if you’re at home and faced with distractions. There are no set goals either, and no one will give you feedback on your progress. Given these factors, it’s easy to lose focus, and you might end up abandoning your self-learning goals.
One way to overcome these is to choose courses that interest you. If you’ve been planning to take piano lessons, for example, a music teacher from Boulder can give you lessons over the Internet. As long as you’re interested in a particular course, it’s easier to develop self-discipline.
Find the Best Online Resources
Technology has leveled the playing field in terms of learning and education. Before, you had to either go to a public library or enroll at a school. Today, everything you need is within reach, thanks to the Internet. Online courses and study materials are readily available online.
If you’re more of a visual learner, online video lessons might be your cup of tea, while podcasts are for the auditory learners. There is a variety of learning modules for people with different learning curves.
Join Online Communities or Networks
Aside from these, online communities are also alternative learning resources. Most of these communities have educators and experts in different fields of learning. Network with these individuals so they can better help you with your self-learning journey.
Keep a Self-learning Diary or Lesson Journal
One of the main challenges of self-learners is the lack of socialization. Peer-to-peer socialization is an essential component of learning, and keeping a diary or lesson journal is helpful. It’s an excellent way to review and reflect on your journey as an autodidact. Diaries also help you discover your strengths and weaknesses as a self-learner.
Reviewing lesson journals help you review what you’ve learned from your online courses. You can also publish these diaries and journals as blogs, and share them online for people to read and enjoy.
Treat Every Obstacle as a Form of Inspiration
Inspiration is the fuel that ignites the fire of self-education. Without it, your self-learning journey can grind to a halt. Learning something on your own is stressful enough, and the lack of inspiration can be the main obstacle to reach your goals.
Obstructions should be treated as learning opportunities to grow and move forward. Find inspiration from friends or family. Their kind words and smiles can put you on the right track.
The art of self-learning is something you should explore. It’s not difficult, but you need patience and discipline to pull it off. Once you’ve learned something new, pay it forward by encouraging peers to take the same journey you did while stuck at home.