Why post about learning when there is already a post here about education? I suppose there is some subtle overlap yet when you drill down it’s helpful to think about how one might go about learning. One definition is this, “to gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught.”

Two things jump out at me. The first is that when you learn you can acquire knowledge and/or skill. Knowledge and skills are different. If you want to do something you must not only have knowledge, you need the skills to do it. It is perfectly fine to gain knowledge about something without ever aspiring to have skills in something. This is worth understanding. The important point is, if you want to have skills in something you need to learn it and do it.

Secondly, in the definition is how someone learns. We learn by study, experience or by being taught. If someone truly wants to learn something all three methods need to be employed, especially if the end goal is to learn a skill.

Here are a few things to consider when you set out to learn something. Are you learning for knowledge only or are you also looking to acquire a skill. When you have it set in your head what you want the end result to be then you will want to determine how you are going to study, who is going to teach you and where you can get the experience.

Once you learn a skill then you will be just at the start of your journey in the pursuit of the perfection of that skill or at least to the level you set for yourself in your original goal.