As the world around us continues to change faster than ever before, we are often expected to learn new things. When I think of someone who exemplifies the value of lifelong learning, I think of our close family friend, whom we affectionately call “Mr. Don.” In addition to being one of the biggest sports fans I know, Mr. Don is always reading. He loves museums, history, and exploring new places. He is a trivia whiz and a genuinely curious person who always asks good questions. And he even learned how to play pickleball at age 81!

While we are all born with a natural inclination for curiosity, some people lose their passion for learning over time. I burnt out several times academically, beginning in high school. Looking back on it, I was more focused on outcomes (e.g., grades, graduating, finding a job) than I was on the process and value of learning itself. Outside of my stints as a full-time student, I dedicated the majority of my time and effort into doing my job and had trouble finding the energy and desire to learn new things.

But beginning in my postdoctoral fellowship, I discovered what many people call “adult learning,” where the focus is more on independent study and experiential learning. Here I found myself truly enjoying learning for the first time in my adult life. Learning about things like group and team dynamics, conducting a job analysis, legal and ethical considerations in personnel selection, performance coaching for aviators and other high performing teams, personality and leadership assessments, and executive and personal coaching. So fun and interesting, at least to me!

Thankfully, I was able to retain this reignited love of learning (alongside my business partner and husband) as we together learned how to form an LLC, create a business plan, and run a business. My most recent big project was creating this website. I have never considered myself to be a “tech” person. While it may not have been a smooth or graceful process, I did it – thanks to GoDaddy and YouTube. And it was very satisfying, at least until I read something online a couple days later about how ChatGPT can design a website in minutes. Oh, well. And just last week, I learned how to use Canva and designed a company flyer – check it out here.

If you have lost your love of learning somewhere along the way, how might you reignite it?

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