Accelerated Learning
(excerpted from the Jim Rohn One-Year
Success Plan - Pillar Eleven: Accelerated Learning)
Hi, Jim Rohn here. This
month we focus on accelerating our learning processes.
How exciting! First, understand we possess the ability
to improve and accelerate our learning
curve. And second, this creates the potential of what we
can continue to become. Wow! So let's get started. Here
is an overview of the month.
1. You are a Genius. In
week one, we discuss ways to unlock and tap into the
incredible powerful potential you have in your mind. We
will also cover the attitudes of successful learners and
show how your attitude about learning will determine how
far you go in your life and career.
2. Six Stages of
Learning. In week two we will talk about how to
accelerate your learning and discover what your unique
learning strengths and weaknesses are. We will also
cover the topic of finding your particular learning
style, and how to best tailor your learning to fit your
unique needs.
3. Improve Your Memory.
In week three we will talk about how the mind and memory
works and how to train it to remember more. We will also
cover basic speed reading techniques and show you the
importance of reading and how to develop a basic reading
plan.
4. Life-long Learning.
In week four we will discuss the importance and benefits
of being a lifetime learner. In addition, we will talk
briefly about a basic plan for life-long learning and
how to keep your mind tuned for success, as well as how
to win the battles of thought that take place in our
minds.
You are a Genius -
Unlocking the Power of the Mind
This month we focus on
the learning that comes through the power of the mind.
Take care to feed and stimulate your brain, and you will
expand your mind. A healthy brain is central to a
healthy mind. Because the two are inextricably
connected, I would like to start this month by giving an
overview of the astounding complexity of the brain. Many
of these facts may be familiar to you, but they are
important reminders of this incredible tool God gave us.
We again need to see the human brain and mind with
wonder, awe and inspiration.
But first, what do we
mean by "learning?"
Here are how some
dictionaries define it:
--the act, process, or
experience of gaining knowledge or skill --knowledge or
skill gained through schooling or study --behavioral
modification especially through experience or
conditioning --to gain knowledge, comprehension, or
mastery through experience or study
Keep this in mind as we
go through the month. Learning is gaining knowledge
through various means.
Now, a little about the
brain:
The brain is the
equivalent of a human supercomputer. Your brain is more
complicated than any computer mankind has ever made.
Maximizing your brain's ability is essential to becoming
the success you desire to become - because it controls
who you are. It is the command center involved in and
controlling absolutely everything you do. Your brain
determines how you think, feel, and act.
Simply put: When your
brain is working at peak performance, it allows you to
be your best, because it controls the rest.
Here are some facts
about the brain:
It is about 2% of body
weight.
It consumes about 20-30% of the body's energy.
There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain.
Each neuron or nerve cell is connected to other nerve
cells in the brain.
There are over 1,000,000,000,000,000 connections in the
brain.
Each one of these neurons is a little "learning center"
capable of storing knowledge.
Needless to say, most
of us have barely scratched the surface when it comes to
tapping into those neurons!
There are some basic influences on the brain that shape
how it functions and how far it develops. Some of these
include genes, health, injury, self-talk, life
experiences, stress, and study (or lack of it). Notice I
said that these influence the brain, but they do not
determine how far you can go or what you can learn,
except perhaps in the case of severe injury or mental
retardation. In other words, you have the incredible
opportunity to go as far as you desire!
So with such a
tremendous tool at our disposal, what keeps so many from
experiencing the possibilities that this tool can bring?
There are some simple barriers that many people face
that can have the potential to wreak havoc on our
learning if we allow them to.
Barriers to Finding
Your Genius
Lack of Belief. Many
people do not believe that they can learn, master
knowledge, or become "smart." These are deeply held
beliefs for many, and ultimately if you do not believe
it, you will not achieve it.
Lack of Knowledge. What
keeps some people from learning is that they choose not
to access or do not have access to knowledge. Knowledge
comes from experiences, books, people and other
"knowledge dispensers." We must tap into that knowledge.
Lack of Desire. Some
people simply do not have the desire to learn. They may
be lazy, or they may not see the positive impact that
learning would have on them. They have no passion inside
that drives them to learn.
Lack of Hard Work.
Gaining knowledge--learning--is hard work and takes a
lifetime to master. It is an ongoing discipline that is
never complete. I am getting on in years and I am still
learning. I am still doing the hard work to expand my
mind. It would be easy to give up and coast, but I love
the challenge of continuing to learn.
So how do we overcome
or break through these "barriers?" The key to breaking
through these barriers is to do the opposite.
Let's look at how to
knock down those barriers:
Change Your Beliefs. It
is up to you to do the work of changing your beliefs.
And when you do you will be opening up new worlds -
literally! This month Chris is going to talk about
winning the thought battle, which will help you keep
negative beliefs out and positive beliefs and thoughts
in. Feed your mind with information that will change
your belief. By taking part in this One-Year Plan, you
are doing just that. But also ask yourself if you are
doing that with belief. The truth is that you have an
amazing mind with a capacity for learning that is beyond
your comprehension. You must believe this. And when you
do, you will be unlocking the potential of your mind!
Get the Right
Knowledge. Words--if they are not true--are meaningless.
I hear children say, "I read it in a book." But is it
true? Just because someone says it or writes it, doesn't
mean it is true. As learners, we want to get the right
knowledge, not just information or opinions. It is our
job to seek out information and knowledge and then test
it and run it through our minds to see if it is true,
and if it can be rightfully applied to our lives in
order to make them better and help us succeed. We need
to weigh and measure what we learn in order to gain the
right knowledge. And when we do, we will be unlocking
the potential of our mind!
Become Passionate about
Learning. This will take some work, but the only way to
do it is to begin learning about things that have an
immediate impact in your life. When you learn about a
new financial concept that helps you earn money or get
out of debt, that will get you fired up. When you learn
about a way to communicate that helps you sell more
product, that will energize you. When you learn about
how to interact with your family in a healthy way and
your relationships get better, that will inspire you!
Become passionate about learning. And when you do, you
will be unlocking the potential of your mind!
Discipline Yourself
Through the Hard Work of Study. Learning will take work.
Until someone comes up with modules that can plug into
your mind and give you instant access to knowledge, you
are on your own, and that takes work. The process of
learning is a long one. Yes, we can speed it up, but it
is still a process of reading, listening, reviewing,
repetition, applying the knowledge, experiencing the
outcomes, readjusting, etc. Simply put, that takes time.
Slowly but surely, when you discipline yourself, you
gain knowledge and learn. And when you do, you will be
unlocking the potential of your mind!
Learning is possible,
no matter what your age. You are never too young or too
old. Your mind was created to learn and has a huge
capacity to do so. This week, make a commitment to
unlock the potential of your mind!
Until next week, let's do something remarkable!
Jim Rohn
This week's article by
Jim Rohn, "You are a Genius - Unlocking the Power of the
Mind", is excerpted from Week 44 of the Jim Rohn
One-Year Success Plan. Sign-up this week for The Jim
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