Learning doesn’t need to be formal. You can learn informally every day with these simple and small activities.

Remember the phrase ‘every day is a learning day’?

You hear it and you shudder because you think of school. It sounds a lot like hard work.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Learning doesn’t need to be a huge formal event with a quiz followed by a pass or fail. It is possible to love learning each day when you know how to do it.

Here are five great ways to learn every day.

  1. Talk to someone wise
    Everywhere you go, some people know more than you. I realise this is shocking to hear – but it is true. There is much wisdom buzzing around you, waiting to be found. So, the first – and most powerful – way to learn every day is by talking to others and listening.
  2. People watch
    People-watching is genius. You are basically choosing to be a behavioural scientist in the coffee shop. Grab a table and a latte, and watch people come and go. Add a sprinkling of curiosity about the lives around you, and you will learn. Start with a question like: How do people show they are listening? And then observe in search of the answer.
  3. Podcast as you commute
    The journey to work is the perfect opportunity to grab some learning time. A podcast is a great way to engage in exploration of your Character Quality. Equally, an audio book while reading the actual book is a double whammy for the brain – and it stops people trying to talk to you. Bonus.
  4. Soak up feedback
    Feedback is the food of champions, as our COO will tell you. You receive feedback in lots of ways all through the day and you choose how you receive it. What better way to use feedback than to believe it teaches us something, rather than upsets us. Be hungry for feedback.
  5. Conscious action
    Decide to do something differently to see how it works. If you want to develop your Character, you need to see what actions impact the most. If you consciously come up with a plan to test your theory – you’ve learned.

Who knew learning was so easy? Remember, small acts of improvement every day will lead to transformational change. What learning can you do today?