6 excuses that keep us from learning

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

For those who think that studying is expensive, boring and generally a waste of time.

Education can be a turning point not only in a career, but also in life: after completing courses and continuing education, people often advance in positions, gain the courage to leave their unloved work, or change their field of activity altogether. Despite this, we tend to procrastinate, to postpone studies “for another year”, and some never dare to take a step towards change.

We figure out what excuses we most often use to dodge new knowledge, what fears are behind this and what to do to overcome them.

1. I don't have time to study

We are afraid that studying will make our already busy rhythm of life simply unbearable. Everyone has a job, many have a family, some have a hobby. Where to integrate also study? In fact, there will be time if what we do is really important to us.

This excuse often hides a deep fear of not coping. We are afraid not to live up to expectations, to take on a new undertaking and not complete it, to show bad results, thereby exposing our imperfection or failure.

What to do

1. To begin with, clearly answer the question: why do you need study and what will it give you?
2. Formulate your ultimate goal. It is most convenient and efficient to do this according to the SMART system: the goal should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. For example: I want to get a job as a frontend developer with a salary of $ 2,000 by December 2019.
3. Make sure you are the one who wants this and not your spouse or mom, or it won't work. Motivate yourself, be inspired by examples, and then it will be much easier to find time to study.

2. It is unlikely that education will somehow help my career

This is usually said by those who have already tried to study, invested a lot of effort and money, but did not get the desired results and were disappointed. Now it seems to them that it will happen again: the efforts made will not pay off and will not help career growth, only leave behind bitter dissatisfaction.

What to do

Choose the place where you will study carefully. There are many educational products on the market, the value of which is questionable: they are usually inexpensive, but they do not provide knowledge as such. At the exit, students do not receive anything except "crusts", which are not particularly needed by the employer.

Before choosing a place to study, read reviews, talk to alumni, study the teachers and the program. And remember that the main secret to success is your strong intention and motivation. Without this, no courses will help.

3. Learning is too expensive

Many people still associate education only with universities, and advanced training - with the second higher education. We still tend to attach unreasonable importance to the diploma. Although there are many ways to gain knowledge outside of the university, we believe that a good education can only be obtained at a prestigious Moscow university, which costs all your annual earnings.

What to do

Again, it all depends on the goal: sometimes it makes sense to get a second degree (for example, if you have worked as a programmer all your life and suddenly decided to become a psychologist), but very often short-term courses are enough. Knowledge has become available, and you can learn something for free. But if intrinsic motivation is weak, even the most expensive training will not give the desired results. So you need to start with this:

1. Once again make sure that the desire to learn comes from within, and not imposed from the outside.
2. Understand how much money you are willing to invest in education so that it does not hit the rest of your life.
3. Having decided on the amount, study the market and find a suitable offer.

4. I have enough knowledge

It can be very difficult for us to admit our imperfection. Only the very realization that we are not perfect takes effort. It is much easier to entertain the illusion that everything is fine anyway, I already know everything, I am almost 40 years old, I am the head of a department, why else should I study? People are afraid to step out of their comfort zone and damage their sense of security by admitting to themselves that some areas of their lives require renewal. We are afraid to learn because it means being wrong, and for many there is nothing worse.

What to do

1. To understand that if you go to study, this does not mean that you are a bad employee who does not know something. This suggests that you want to develop and improve, increase professional self-esteem and broaden the horizons of opportunities.
2. Begin training with the awareness that making mistakes is not scary, but necessary: this is the key to growth and its main feature.
3. Tune in to enjoy the process and not blame yourself if not everything works out the first time.

5. I don’t know which direction of study to choose

It also happens: there is a desire to change something, but it is not clear what exactly. The current job has ceased to satisfy, and in general, the field of activity, it seems, is not the same. Switch to another company? Change your profession? Or just relax and the inspiration will return? It is important to understand this before you start learning, otherwise there is a risk of choosing the wrong vector.

What to do

Think if you like what you are doing now? Feeling satisfied at the end of your day, or hate the whole world? Do you enjoy your successes, do you show personal qualities in work? If the answer is “yes”, then, most likely, you are in your place and it makes sense to develop further along the same vector. If the answer is no, it might be worth changing something. How to find a job in life is a topic for a separate article, but first you can watch how you fill your free time when there is no work and other required activities. This could be a clue.

6. Studying is not for me. It's hard and boring

As a rule, this excuse hides an unwillingness to take on a large and complex task. This fear is inherent in many and is quite understandable, especially if it is not very clear where this training will lead. And we also have strong memories of the years at school, when we had to trudge there with a heavy portfolio in any weather and by all means sit through six boring lessons.

What to do

Give it a try. And make sure that learning in adulthood is fundamentally different from the format that it was in childhood. In addition to knowledge that will help you advance in your career, this is also a great opportunity to make new friends and useful contacts.