I have always loved learning. Reading and consuming educational content has been a source of great joy for me throughout my life.

However, in recent times I have come to realise that I have been learning the wrong way.

Yesterday, I watched a video by Dan Koe and it reminded me of this.

Dan talks about intentional learning, and it is quite a good way to state things.

Intentional learning is learning that is aimed at solving the problems you face as you pursue your goals.

Remember, a few days ago, I asked you to define the problems you faced in your life? Now you know why.

Intentional learning is not the way we are thought to learn.

Society’s way of learning

In school, we are taught vast quantities of information that we will never need, nor use.

This must be done in schools as the system aims to offer a broad education to as many people as possible – people who will want to pursue their own interests in life.

I remember in secondary school Geography; I learned all about the soil types in the Massif Central and Alsace

Lorraine regions of France. At the time, I could have told you everything you wanted (or didn’t want) to know about them.

I left school 26 years ago and I still have not set foot in France.

This type of learning serves its purpose in school but as you move fully into your own life, you need to learn in a manner which serves you.

That is why it is so critical to know your own problems, define them, research potential solutions and experiment with them.

This is how you grow in life.

As much as I enjoy all manner of learning; I can honestly say that I have experienced much greater joy when that learning has directly allowed me to solve a problem that I was facing at that time.

That feeling of accomplishment and progress is one of the sweetest feelings that life can bring.

So, once again, I would encourage you to take a close look at your life and identify the problems you need to solve.

Then you can take up the habit of intentional learning.