Posts Tagged ‘learn something new’

How many of you have chosen not to do something because of the time you will have to invest in it? You love music, but decide not to learn the guitar because of the time it takes to be able to play a song. Or maybe you tried to learn a language, but gave up because you realized how much time you would need to invest to be able to actually speak to someone. I most certainly have. The thought of the amount of hours it takes to learn something new has kept me away from a number of things. Partially because I didn’t have the time and partially because when you think about the time things can seem almost out of reach. However, in a world where we all seem to be so bored that we decide to sit down in front of a TV or computer for hours on end, we should be excited when we think about all the time it will take to learn something new.

It’s true that the best benefits will come from something once you get really good at it. The guitar will be the funnest once you can play well enough to play a song. But that doesn’t mean that the journey and countless hours of practice you spend to get there have to be hard. Most of the people who are really good at something got that way because they loved to practice. The best guitar players got to that point because they loved to sit and practice going through the chords again and again.

This is something I have really noticed since moving from Tokyo to the small island of Miyakojima. It seems that everyone here can play some sort of instrument, sing, or is very good at some sort of skill. The biggest difference I notice between Tokyo and Miyakojima is the environment in which people learn. Tokyo is formal and instructions and clubs can almost start to feel like jobs. Instruction is usually given from teacher to student. In Miyakojima, the learning is much more free and there are less borders between who is teaching and who is learning. Rather than formal classes there are more clubs where people gather to practice. The practice itself becomes something fun and something to look forward to.

Seeing this difference has helped me realize that the biggest reason I haven’t pursued some things is less because of the time commitements, but with the environment I will be spending the time in. Kids get good at games because the learning itself is fun. If you can find a learning environment that you enjoy then you are much more likely to continue and to pursue something else once you master it.

For myself, I will have my first lesson learning to learning to play the sanshin (a traditional Japanese three string guitar) and learning to sing Traditional Okinawan songs this Thusday. I know there will be a lot of practice and time involved and even a lot of struggle. And that’s exactly what has me so excited!

On average, a a person in the US spends just under 5 hours a day watching TV and depending on the age at about the same amount (if not more) on the Internet. The thing is that sitting in front of a TV or a computer isn’t really that rewarding. A good movie or show can provide a lot of entertainment, but you are only getting the value from a spectator’s point of view. There is a lot more to be gained by doing something for yourself. So what could you accomplish if you cut down your time surfing the channels and web pages.

If you managed to break steal back just two hours a day and put it toward your new activity you could learn:

• Piano in 32 weeks
• Guitar in 10 weeks
• Juggling in 1 day
• Marital Art in 42 weeks
• Fluent Spanish in one year ( I actually believe this can be done much quicker)
• Learn to sing in 64 weeks
• Harmonica in 3.5 weeks

So what are you waiting for? Give up a few hours of TV/Internet and go learn something that will really give you enjoyment.

Above times where taken from “Software for the Brain” and the Foreign Service Institute and then divided by 14 hours per week (2 hours per day).