The Learning Life Develop a LEARNING PLAN

By Lowell Anderson

Some people just enjoy learning new things. They may have a rough plan, but tend to simply learn one thing until they get bored with it or something more important or exciting catches their attention.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this casual approach, especially if you’re happy with your progress and have no specific learning goals. However, if you have more ambitious goals - like learning something within a limited period of time - having a specific plan can be very helpful.

Research And Exploration

If you’re starting from scratch, you may not yet have enough knowledge of the subject to accurately know what the learning process will be or how long it could take.

The important thing is to just get started. As you gain more knowledge of the subject, you will get a better idea of what is involved and how long you can realistically expect it to take. You can make a plan in the beginning, but just be aware that you may have to adjust it over time as the subject and its requirements become more familiar to you.

Set A Goal

Once you’ve done some research, setting goals is probably the most important thing you can do for intentional and productive learning. Goals should be both specific and time-based, defining what you expect to learn and in what time frame. Most people set long-range goals, but goals can also be shortterm, marking milestones and steps along the way. They can