BY MICHELLE THOMAS
You know when you try something for the first time (like cartwheeling into a handstand), and it just seems impossible? Well, keep trying because motor learning is one way to build new brain synapses.
That’s why I love unique body movements and creating art. I’m always looking for a different angle or new way of solving a problem. I’m hopefully sparking neural pathways that will keep my mind functioning as long as my body. Scientific research has shown people who engage in consistent and sustained learning, show an increase in memory function.
This may be far out, but The Book Of Five Rings is a book written by a Japanese Swordsman about the martial arts. My favorite section is when he’s asked about his approach in battle. He mentions how he uses the same approach in battle as he does in all things in life. It makes sense. If you are good at yoga because you constantly study the movements and are always learning, it will make sense if you became a rocket scientist because you learned all you needed about how chemicals react and continued learning about rocket science.
It’s simple if you look at it like this-
It’s not about WHAT your learning as much as it’s important to learn HOW to consume and utilize information. If you constantly devote time to learning in general, you’ll use that same process to approach anything you set your mind to. This is an insight into any creative or successful business person process. You’ll notice a trend. For example, how artists later work is sometimes more refined, or how a business owner opens a new side business and it’s successful immediately. They became good at learning how to learn, and they did that by never taking a break from consuming information. It’s imperative to the longevity of a creative.
When you continually learn you will develop new neural pathways that strengthen the ability to continue doing so, and doing so more efficiently. So the next time you’re setting out to do something new, and it seems impossible, keep going. It doesn’t seem like it at the time, but it WILL get easier.