As we progress through our lives, we can learn from experiences in work, at home, and in our communities. Development is continuous and keeps us motivated and focused on, “what’s next?”

The most reliable path to success is to assume that learning is not a process that you finish, but a way to approach every situation you encounter. There are always opportunities to seek out new situations in which to learn and develop. With the help of a “growth mindset”, you can always stay vitally and rewardingly engaged.

Seeking out knowledge

Do we ever reach a point where we “know enough”? Certainly we can acquire enough skills to meet a particular challenge, but there are far-ranging benefits to continuing our learning:

• Learning makes us more confident and resilient. The experience of meeting challenges and using our intelligence to overcome them boosts our sense that we can cope with difficult situations.
• Learners are better able to cope with change. Mastering new concepts accustoms us to encountering unfamiliar and perhaps challenging beliefs. The more we come to terms with unknown ways of thinking, the less daunting the unknown becomes.
• Learning enriches our experiences. Life becomes more interesting as we learn and develop. The more we can approach the world as students, the more we are likely to thrive in it.
• Learning makes us more well rounded. A 2015 study published in Adult Education Quarterly found that the best measure of lifelong learning was “human capital”—the understanding we can gain by educating ourselves. “Social capital,” or the extent to which we build on connections with others to help us develop, was also helpful, especially for those with less formal education. But the greater their “human capital,” the better the subjects of the research were able to make effective use of their skills in a variety of situations.
• Learning preserves our well-being as we age. Studies confirm that older people who embark on education enjoy higher levels of health and happiness, and the connections and insight they foster enrich the community as a whole.

Learning to learn

It may sound like a narrow topic, but learning itself can be a skill to develop. In 2006, the European Parliament and Council listed this as one of several “key competences” we can improve throughout our lives. Here is the complete list:

• Communication in our mother tongue
• Communication in foreign languages
• Mathematical, scientific, and technical competence
• Digital and computer competence
• Learning to learn
• Social and civic competence
• A sense of initiative and entrepreneurship
• Cultural awareness and expression.

If you need a general recipe for success, one of the best things you could do is follow this curriculum.

Reaching for meaning

According to Portuguese psychologist and education expert Roberto Carneiro, learning is a process that grows more complex—and more fulfilling—as we develop. We begin with approaching basic information, and progress from there to knowledge, which gives us a grasp of the facts. Then, we approach genuine “learning,” in which we refine our understanding of the knowledge we’ve gained. Finally, we reach a sense of meaning, in which the application, value, and worth of all we’ve learned starts to become clear.

To adapt or generate?

Thinking of learning as a way of gaining information is useful but limited. Professor Roberto Carneiro proposes a distinction between “adaptive” and “generative” learning. Adaptive learning helps us to manage within our environment; generative learning helps us to change our environment. To be successful, we need to cultivate both types of learning.