A Learning Enthusiast’s Guide on what to learn and how
Choosing the right skills in a world of infinite options and than some.
Ever feel overwhelmed by everything you could learn? Skills for work, life, fun—where do you even start?
Topics, rabbit holes, ideas, curiosities, necessities, wants, and needs. There is an endless amount of things to learn about and get better at.
The secret to learning isn’t forcing yourself into things you ‘should’ learn. It’s about following curiosity, interest, and heart.
What to learn about:
Follow your curiosity. It is that simple. Curiosity helps you find the first spark of motivation to take action, whether that is signing up for a course, looking for a mentor or just starting with some research.
Follow your interest. Okay, I understand. You are curious, but are you also interested in hearing more? Are you interested enough to put time into finding out more? A necessity might drive it because something is in your best interest; that might be a significant driving force. Or, it is in your interest to keep growing in your professional role. Or maybe you are just interested in learning about ancient history. Or painting. Or resilience. Who knows.
Follow your heart. Cheesy, I know, but you have not to hate the thing. I remember how much I wanted to learn to code but hated the idea before starting, so you can guess whether I have ever started. It’s so much easier to find motivation if you like it, even just a bit.
How to learn:
Don’t hate me for saying this, but it depends on your goal and the type of goal. What always helps, though, is mindset. So here are my top 3 suggestions on the mindset and the how:
Approach learning with the right mindset. Adopt a “yet” mentality—“I’m not a great cook… yet.” That small shift leaves room for growth, for progress through practice and persistence.
Remember how we learned as kids? We fell off our bikes, scraped our knees, and got right back on. Mistakes weren’t failures; they were just steps in the process. Somewhere along the way, we forgot that. Give yourself the same grace now—learning isn’t linear, and setbacks are part of the ride.
Make it an experiment. Try different approaches. Talk to a friend. Find a mentor—or even a mentee. Ask questions. Listen to a podcast. Attend a webinar. Break the skill into smaller steps. Gamify it. Make it fun. Think back to when learning felt exciting—when it was about discovery, curiosity, and the joy of getting better at something new. Find that feeling again—and chase it.
Learn a new skill or achieve mastery?
The other tricky part is whether to learn an entirely new skill or sharpen an existing one. We all know we can improve our breathing, mindfulness, and negotiation. But we also know we should learn about financial planning. And we have always wanted to learn to scuba dive.
This is a delicate balance, and humans are different. It depends on our situation. Both have pros. Learning has no cons, so we don’t need to go there.
Becoming a master in a skill is a hat tip. There is something extraordinary about masters who know their art, like a master woodworker, lawyer, researcher, or painter who knows what they are doing on a level everyone strives to.
But sometimes, we need to learn a new skill—or better, we want to.
When was the last time you did something for the first time? When was the last time you learned something new?
Here is a fun challenge for you.
Pick a new skill.
Curious to learn? Interested? Is your heart in it? Learn it.
But do it consciously. Treat it as an experiment. Know that it is not just a new skill but a practice for observing yourself how you learn. Do you beat yourself up for a mistake? Are you patient enough? Do you give up after your first try? Are you embracing imperfection? Do you hate not knowing? How can you give yourself grace? How can you embrace failures?
Reflect on the process. Learn about how you learn best.
I can assure you that it will be one of your favorite experiments. You will learn how you like to learn. Once you understand, you can have the right attitude and mindset. It will get easier. Everything will become a new skill that you don’t know. Yet.
My New Skill Experiment: Pottery.
My favorite new skill I have recently learned is pottery. I did a 90-minute workshop a couple of years ago and made a shitty little bowl. But I made it with my own hands. And ever since I was longing for that experience of getting messy with clay, the texture, the flow, all of it.
As a Learning Nerd, I have been curious about how I learn new skills, so this experiment was perfect for me.
Recently, I really longed for a creative outlet, let’s say i was curious. I was interested, and I followed my heart.
Along this journey, I have also learned many other skills that I could apply elsewhere, such as humility, patience, and fun that I didn’t even know come together with pottery.
Learning isn’t just about gaining skills—it’s about learning how you learn. Pick something new, observe yourself in the process, and see what you discover. Who knows? You might just unlock something bigger than the skill itself.