7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

Habit 1: Begin with the end in mind
Habit 2: Accept responsibility for your own learning
Habit 3: View problems as challenges
Habit 4: Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner
Habit 5: Create your own learning toolbox
Habit 6: Use technology to your advantage
Habit 7: Teach/mentor others
Habit 7 ½: Play

I think the easiest habit for me would be Habit 2: Accept responsibility for your own learning. I've always been big on personal accountability, and I endorse the idea that you get out of something what you put into it. (I considered joking that the exception to this is how I didn't put much into school, but got a couple of degrees out of it anyway, but I opted not to, as sarcasm is so hard to translate into type). Anyhoo, what I'm getting at is the value of an experience is equal to the effort you put into that experience, and that responsibility is easy for me to accept.

As for the hardest habit, I'll pick Habit 3: View problems as challenges. This is mostly an issue of semantics. Challenges are merely overcome, but problems can be eliminated. And there is something delightfully definitive about eliminating a problem. I appreciate the intent of this habit, but I've got to make it work for me.

Addendum: I also don't like Habit 7 ½. Not because I don't like having fun--it actually has nothing to do with the habit itself, but rather its numeral: 7 ½. I'm much more comfortable working with positive integers.