24/02/2022
Can you have more fun if you change how you learn?
What I have found is that if the answer is yes if you choose to adopt a different mindset.
Respected academics have developed several different ways of describing learning styles. Often used is the VARK model: Visual, Auditory, Reading and writing and Kinesthetic.
It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I discovered that my primary style is kinesthetic. Wish I'd known this at school!
During my corporate career the practice of respecting the different VARK styles in courses was invaluable. And when taking up golf in my mid 50s I deliberately sought out a coach who didn’t just tell me, but instead showed me, how to hit a shot and what happened with different sorts of grass and lies.
However, there is another element to learning – how well you tolerate the speed at which you acquire these new skills?
For me, golf became an obsession not the last because I hated being so poor at it. I had little or no tolerance for the reality that most people find it takes years to develop a reasonable golf game.
Golf involves not only hitting a (small) ball, but also being able to understand and respond to the course being played, as well as the most difficult aspect - the mental one.
I won’t expound on the latter, it would take too long. But those who have tried golf will know what I’m talking about. Golf also has scores – numbers that tell a story, if not the whole one.
I was often exasperated and despondent. Once my teenage daughter said to me “Mum, why do you send all weekend playing golf when it makes you so unhappy?” That was a wakeup call!
Over time I’ve come to realise that the source of this frustration is the gap between what I (and many others) expect of myself and the reality of any given day on the golf course.
Recognising and actively working on accepting this has allowed me, more often, to enjoy playing even when it’s not going so well.
Roll forward, I’m now in my early 60s. As I now live close to a renowned surfing beach I’ve decided to learn to surf.
What occurred to me recently was the different mindset I’ve brought to this challenge. I did not expect to be proficient quickly, finding out swiftly that there are many skills required to paddle out, catch the right sort of wave, and then get on it, even before you try and stand up!
I am being kinder to myself, acknowledging I’m probably the oldest learner out there, but slowly and progressively gaining the various skills required.
A bonus is that my partner is a patient teacher, letting me explore this new world at my own pace, and giving me feedback and further insights that complement my kinesthetic learning that day.
It is so much more fun and I’m thoroughly enjoying the ever-changing ocean and a new way of staying fit.
Changing my mindset as well as understanding my learning style has been a rewarding experience.
I’d love to hear what learning journeys you’re on and how you’ve worked with your own learning style.
