Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
Benjamin Franklin
Learning as an adult has been a liberating journey, allowing me to explore unknown worlds and expand on my abilities beyond what I ever thought possible. For the first half of my life though, I didn’t quite see it that way.
C’s get degrees! Sorry Mom and Dad but that was my mentality through much of my schooling. I hated learning. Reading assignments made me feel nauseous in elementary school. I remember having to finish a book while on vacation in Florida. Oh, the humanity! We may have been given months to read it but that wasn’t the point.
Memorizing multiplication tables, blech!
History? Kill me now.
In fifth grade we had to write a one-page response to a question, and I filled half of the page with “a looooooooooooooooooooong time ago…” My poor teachers.
Things didn’t improve in middle school or high school. There was quite a bit of homework copying and “ABACADABA” on scantron tests (if you don’t know what that is and actually studied for tests, look it up). I never liked learning for learning’s sake.
They Are in There Somewhere
I remember liking a girl in a foreign literature class. She asked me if I had studied for the upcoming exam on a book about Roman history. I hadn’t, but lied, and we both knew she was going to cheat off my test. I scrutinized that book like the kid in the attic reading The Never Ending Story. When test time came around, I was the first one done, and it was the only time in my life that 100% was guaranteed. My crush also received a perfect score and never talked to me again…I have had animosity towards Rome ever since (kidding).
The brains were in there somewhere, but I preferred to use them for social activities or sports. Education was not a priority, and at the time I didn’t think it was necessary. I was a common story of youth wasted on the young. I try not to live with regrets, and while I do wish I’d spent more of my younger days developing my mind, I credit that lost time with my current hunger for knowledge.
Adult Learning
I’ve realized that I am not alone in this adult learning epiphany. There is an abundance of avenues one can take to pursue later in life learning. From online courses to masterclass sessions with titans of industries, anyone can access amazing content to learn and grow. Here are a few that I have enjoyed.
Udemy
This is basically a choose your own adventure college but here, you are allowed to walk out of class if it sucks. Udemy has thousands on courses from marketing or personal finance to knitting or sign language. These are deep dives into each subject with a series of short videos to follow along with. Most classes come with study material and quizzes (no one sees your grades, don’t worry). The site keeps track of your progress, and you can come and go as you please.
Udemy offers individual courses that you buy and own forever, or you can subscribe monthly and access a larger library of lessons. Note: some of the classes are not available in the subscription model.
I have taken courses on social media marketing, philosophy, writing, and speed reading. All of these have taught me a ton about each subject and have opened doors in my mind for further exploration.
Masterclass
Imagine going to a conference on film making and you find out that the guest speaker is Martin Scorsese, or your friend invites you to a improv class and the teacher is Steve Martin. Masterclass offers an intimate setting to sit and learn from some of the very best at their crafts. There are courses on music with Metallica or Ringo Starr. There are cooking courses with Gordan Ramsey or Wolfgang Puck. The talent list on this site is quite impressive. Some of the best courses feature people you may not have heard of before but are captivating nonetheless and can offer extremely helpful advice.
My favorite course to date is one from Chris Voss, a former FBI negotiator who teaches skills he has learned over the years and how to apply them to all aspects of life. He uses stories from his days in the FBI to explain 12 proven tactics anyone can use when negotiating at work or at home. I practice these techniques on my kids but I swear they watched it as well, because they always win.
Fitness Apps and Clubs
I have also enjoyed expanding my physical fitness education. There are endless amounts of apps and programs out there and I have tried many of them. One that has proven the test of time for me is the Fit! app.
With a wide range of classes, from general calisthenics to focused programs for specific sports, just about anyone can find a class that works for them. There is even a class called Mobility for Desk Workers. Each class provides a full program spanning 5-8 weeks. You can go at your own pace, but rest days are built in and it has been helpful for me to follow the timeline of the courses. There are tutorial videos for each exercise as you move along and the workouts are easy to follow. So far, every program has provided me with something that I have never tried before.
I am currently learning the basics of Wu Bu Quan, a Shaolin Kung Fu technique. Never thought I’d say that in my life!
Reading
I talk about books and reading a lot on OldRockLife so I won’t dwell on it, but I will say while not all of life can be learned from books, they can definitely help. I will continue to post some of my favorites along the way, but here are a few I recently learned a lot from:
The Go Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann
Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins
Never Stop Learning
I guess I’m making up for lost time, but I’d argue that learning as an adult has some significant advantages. I don’t have to do any of this, I want to. Learning what interests me, at my own pace. That freedom alone is enough to keep me coming back for more. It has opened my mind to so many possibilities, and I am excited each day to see how else I can grow.
