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Everybody wants to be smarter. Unfortunately, not all of us will get there. There is a distinct line between smart learners and those who just learn. The former become “students of the game;” they learn how to learn and in doing so broaden their own perspectives through self-discovery. The latter group learns because education is pushed upon them. The former is revolutionary, the latter—evolutionary.
Learning how to learn is a critical skill that separates star performers from everybody else . Here are 16 ways smart learners stay smart:
1. Smart learners question the question. Smart learners know not to take answers at face value. Instead, they question two things: its relevance to the subject at hand, and its feasibility.
2. Smart learners ask open questions. What is one thing that smart learners and three year olds have in common? They both ask “why?” Incessantly. Similarly, smart learners perpetuate the learning cycle by asking open-ended questions—questions that cannot be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”
3. Smart learners focus on the micro while keeping the macro in mind. Keeping the larger picture in mind is paramount to learning for a number of reasons:
- To avoid duplicative efforts
- To enhance efficiency and effectiveness
- To maximize communication between functions
Possessing just one tidbit of knowledge is futile without an understanding of how it relates to its component parts . While possessing one learning silo is better than nothing at all, it’s how that silo functions with others that determines the overall value.
4. Smart learners understand context. The whole is not equal to the sum of its parts. Just because you can run fast and lift heavy things doesn't mean the NFL is in your future. Smart learners keep their eye on the bigger picture while considering how each micro piece comprises the macro puzzle. Everything is a system, and smart learners are aware that tugging the strings of one piece will ultimately affect the rest.
5. Smart learners don’t compare themselves. Carol Dweck, in her bestselling book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, cites:
Everyone is born with an intense drive [I prefer need] to learn. Infants stretch their skills daily. Not just ordinary skills, but the most difficult tasks of a lifetime, like learning to walk and talk. They never decide it’s too hard or not worth the effort. Babies don’t worry about making mistakes or humiliating themselves. They walk, they fall, they get up. They just barge forward.
“What could put an end to this exuberant learning? The fixed mindset. As soon as children become able to evaluate themselves, some of them become afraid of challenges. They become afraid of not being smart. I have studied thousands of people from preschoolers on, and it’s breathtaking how many reject an opportunity to learn. (source: opencolleges.edu)
6. Smart learners redefine failure. They don’t see failure as an end state but rather a time to reflect, assess, and re-build. They know that failure is only determined by where they stop--and they choose to keep going.
7. Smart learners don’t see end-states, but rather next-states . Just as failure is temporary, so is improvement if you don’t continue doing so. Smart learners always know what they want to learn next, why and how it applies to their current efforts.
8. Smart learners surround themselves with smart(er) people. Einstein once said, “no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.” Learning from other (smarter) people is a process, just like learning itself.
9. Smart learners know not to push. One can only “push” oneself for so long until his or her willpower begins to fizzle out. Similar to other muscles, willpower is a mental and emotional muscle that tires out quickly. Surrounding oneself with others who provide new opportunities to learn and grow plays to the human need of self-actualization.
10. Smart learners see challenges as opportunities. Everybody has the ability to manage his or her perspective. Smart learners know this and redefine “problems” as opportunities to learn, to test oneself, and to grow.
11. Smart learners visualize achievement. Smart learners envision the skills and knowledge they need to get from where they are to where they want to be. They do a personal inventory of their strengths and weaknesses and build upon the former while refining the latter. Then they go do it.
12. Smart learners ask for help. They understand the value of getting away from “me” and moving towards “we;” they realize that unilateral efforts only take them so far and that relationships are key to success. Similarly, smart learners offer help by way of teaching, coaching or mentoring because they know that the best way to solidify learning is to teach it to others.
13. Smart learners are adaptable. Changing the environment has a huge impact on learning and behavior, and smart learners know this. If they don’t feel like working but know they must, they develop a system—a ritual—that puts them in the right mental state.
14. Smart learners listen intently. They are absorbed in the moment of what the other person is saying, rather than thinking of their own response and not listening.
15. Smart learners know that confidence is a game change. Smart learners stay confident in their learning abilities by employing positive self-talk as a means to self-coach themselves through uncertainty.
16. Smart learners see context. They know how to sift through the BS because they ask themselves questions that draw out more detailed conclusions, such as:
- “Is this [topic] relevant?”
- “Is this [news] a surprise?”
- “How is [topic] different?”
As a result, they make mental connections that would otherwise remain hidden.
How do you learn? What are your learning strategies to become a smart learner and stay on the cutting edge?
