6 Reasons Why You Should Continue to Learn in Your 60s
As many of you are aware, I’m a huge advocate of lifelong learning. I believe that part of the human experience is the ability to grow, advance, and expand our reach - which can be achieved by continually learning and expanding our minds. To cease to learn is to cease to grow, and if we aren't growing, we’re stuck.
Also read: 6 Tips for Efficient Multitasking
This December I will be 60, and have no plans on slowing down on my educational pursuit. Education can exist through a multitude of pathways, whether it’s through formal institutions or personal experiences. I love finding new avenues to acquire education: I’ve spoken a lot about the pursuit of my PhD, and I’m also very well known to take an art class or personal interest courses to expand my knowledge. The thing I have come to realize over the years is that as I age and my career becomes less hectic, I can focus my attention on my passion projects and personal interests. I can study what I want for the sake of learning something new. Some things are still directly tied to my career because I truly am passionate, but some, including the art classes I attend, are simply a passion of mine. It’s through this that I’ve become such a large advocate of lifelong learning, specifically in our older ages. Today I wanted to share some of these tips with you in hopes of inspiring you to continue learning.
6 Reasons Why You Should Continue to Learn in Your 60s
1. Wisdom
There are certain things you cannot learn in a classroom, that only lived experiences can teach. The older we get, the more life experiences we’ve experienced that offer us a unique perspective on the world around us. This can be very beneficial in our studies and should be looked at as a huge opportunity.
2. Developed Habits
One concern I’ve heard regarding going back to school later in life is the lack of study habits. Some people fear that being out of school for some time means they are less in touch with how to study effectively and efficiently. What I want you to remember is that while you may not have been in school for a while, one thing you will have is a sense of your own habits and behaviours, which gives you an idea of when you’re most productive or efficient. For me, I know that going to bed early and waking up early allows me to be most productive, and I’m sure you have an idea of when you’re most productive, too!
3. Less Pressure
One thing I find very comforting is knowing I already have my dream job, so I can focus on specific areas of interest in my career or in my personal life that I want to explore further. Naturally, because I am so passionate about my career, these pathways often intersect, but I want you to remember that studying later in life means you're not limited to those things if you don't want to be.
4. Lessened Working Schedule
I’ve already touched on this, but at this stage of my career, I’m incredibly blessed that I don’t need to work as many hours out of the home. This grants me more flexibility in my schedule, which allows me to fit more personal interests into my day.
5. Keep your mind active
Similar to how we go to the gym to train our muscles, it’s important to train our minds, too. Taking courses that expand our minds utilizes our critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills, which in turn helps to keep us sharp. The more we use it, the more we build it, the more we can (hopefully) retain it.
6. Fulfilling a dream
I’m not too sure who needs to hear this, but you’re allowed to study something simply because it’s a dream of yours. In teaching post-secondary, I’ve seen countless older students come through simply because it was a passion and a dream of theirs. Time is going to pass regardless, even if you don’t graduate until your mid-60s, you still will have accomplished a huge goal, and that is something to be proud of.