My Thoughts on the Habits of Successful Lifelong Learning

Picking out two distinctive but opposite features among the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners is, in itself, challenging and thought-provoking. Which habit comes easiest? Which one is the hardest? Let me start with the hardest category. Here, I would have to say Habit 3 – Viewing Problems as Challenges – is sometimes difficult to master if I have hit a roadblock in a new learning experience. It seems too easy to dismiss this habit as a cliché, but it is not. We are always learning despite negative and/or positive experiences. I just must keep reminding myself. When I am frustrated, though, it is hard to be self-aware that I am learning, too. In most cases, what we have learned in a difficult situation will never be forgotten.

Habit 7, Teaching and Mentoring Others, is something I believe comes naturally for me. We are always learning, even from a teacher’s perspective. In my current role as a Literacy Instructor, it would be difficult to excel in this job if teaching others was a weak characteristic. As teachers and coaches, we are able to witness and document tangible results of connecting learning to learners’ personal goals. Integral to this habit are motivation and goal setting. We must work diligently to motivate and believe in people. Establishing a learning goal(s) is a vital part in teaching and mentoring. This promotes ongoing improvement, which is the foundation of lifelong learning.