Learning is a process that doesn’t stop. But beyond learning, there are two important processes that we also need to be aware of and practice consciously: unlearning and relearning.
To move forward, we need to be able to practice these two things. Beyond just learning new things, which is clearly a huge process, we also have to practice letting go of outdated ideas and practices and coming back to the skills we used to have.
If you always do things a certain way and stick to what you know, it’s harder for you to grow. Things change, and the world today changes rapidly. This means that unlearning is an essential process. Unlearning means letting go of what you know in favor of better strategies.
It can be difficult to stop doing things the usual way, but if we give ourselves the chance, the new way can soon become a habit. There are no fields where you can simply get by learning things once, you always have to update yourself and your skills. Unlearning is a valuable ability that will serve you well and help you stay open to new ideas.
What can you do to unlearn? Take things slow and allow yourself the time and space to make mistakes at first.
Acknowledge that changing a habit takes time and that at first you will be stuck in your older ways. This is normal.
It’s fine to feel frustrated, but you still have to move forward. Don’t do stuff the way you always do it, try new things and discover better ways.
Releaning is another useful habit. It involves going back to an older practice when you need to and using your existing skills to boost your learning. Relearning involves keeping in mind older practices that might be useful in the future.
There is always a need for learning new things. No matter what you do, you can’t stay in the same place forever. Sometimes, this process means letting go of what you have always done and other times it involves adapting your old skills to fit the new situation.
We are constantly evolving. It takes work and effort, of course, but it also brings a significant pay-off. If we stop learning, we stop growing, and that means we become caught in a current situation.
Always give yourself the chance to learn and discover new things. You will be amazed at how far you can go, by moving one step at a time.
