Trying to learn new things throughout your life is beneficial in so many ways. For starters, science has shown that if you pursue education and engage your mind as you age, you may be less likely to experience cognitive decline. In addition, you can live a longer and happier life, make new friends, and gain skills that can help you in your career and everyday life. Picking up new abilities and gaining additional knowledge can make your life more interesting and open the door to novel and fun experiences too. Use these tips to obtain new skills and discover more about the world around you.

Take a class

Consider enrolling in a class to learn new skills or find out about something that interests you. You can take a class at a local university, in your community, or online through companies like MasterClass, Coursera, and Skillshare. For instance, you can pick up tennis from Serena Williams through MasterClass, take a University of Pennsylvania class on viral marketing through Coursera, and learn social media marketing through Skillshare. You could also pursue a degree. More and more adults, even those in middle age, are going back to college to gain career skills.

Read

Some of the world’s highest achievers, such as Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, attribute at least some of their success to reading. Whether you peruse a book, magazine, or online news site, you can open the door to new ideas and gain insights about anything from astronomy to zoology. You can read books for free by going to your local library or by using an app like Libby or Open Library.

Pursue hobbies

A hobby can be more than just a pastime; it can also be an education. For instance, if you were to take up fishing, you could discover the best ways to catch a fish, hone your problem-solving skills and patience, and get to know more about local ponds, fish, and ecosystems. Pursuing new hobbies can help you expand your social circles, too, as you meet others who share the same interests as you.

Travel

Traveling is an excellent way to expand your horizons. Whether you take a trip here in the US or abroad, you can get to know more about various people, foods, places, and customs, plus how to coordinate travel plans and find the best places to stay.

Volunteer

Volunteering is most often thought of as helping others, but it can also benefit you. For example, if you assist at a soup kitchen or organize a coat drive, you can gain essential knowledge like how to be a leader, manage a project, or cook a delicious meal for many people.

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