Why self-learning is important.

Self-learning means that you’re invested in whatever it is you’re focusing on. It comes from a personal wish to grow and be better. It’s the purest form of motivation and the strongest form of investment, leading to determination and results. 

Also, because you’re learning by yourself, some obstacles will be bigger than usual. But that’s not a problem, it’s a benefit. That means that the sense of satisfaction you get from overcoming it will be bigger than usual. 

Learning is never done in a vacuum. If you’re trying to get better at photo editing, for example, you will also become a better photographer because you know what you want to achieve and how to achieve it. 

Also, your self-learning skill gets better as well, making future learning easier. You’ll start to know your habits and preferences better. Through trial and error, you’ll find out which methods and processes work and which don’t. Learning more means becoming a proficient learner.

In teaching, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. You need to cast a wide net but be prepared to change your approach with every topic, with every student, with every day. In the case of self-learning, you know how you learn. You know that if you’re a visual learner you’ll have to prepare some cards or illustrations. If you learn through hearing you’ll record yourself so that you can listen to it later. 

You are the creator of the program you’ll be “attending” and you’re its only student. Make it perfect for yourself.

Learning is all about pushing boundaries. You can’t learn if you don’t go out of your way to make yourself uncomfortable. Do you think you’re bad at art? Start painting. Hate the written word? Try creative writing. 

Those areas, while uncomfortable, will yield the most progress in the short run, keeping you motivated. A great boost of confidence is also realizing you can do the things you thought you couldn’t. There’s nothing you can lose in that situation because if you end up failing, at least you tried and you should be applauded for trying new things.

While finding the new and exploring your weaknesses is great, you shouldn’t ignore your strengths. They are what makes you ‘you’ and you should always strive to improve them or to use them in new ways. 

Also, if your strengths can help you in learning something new then they have to be utilized in order to reach your goals. It’s not cheating, it’s building a network of strengths that help and improve each other.

Raise the bar, and create a challenge.

You should always aim high. Push yourself. Make yourself better. Without a challenge, there is no progress. If something seems hard that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Try it out. Failure is just a different form of learning. 

But, you shouldn’t be overly ambitious. Setting too high a bar can severely impact morale and motivation if you keep falling short. This means that you should set many smaller, attainable goals so as not to get overwhelmed.