The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn”.- Alvin Tofler

To maximise your chance of success in every endeavour and to avoid being one of the ‘illiterate’ having awareness of your most effective learning style is paramount. People use different modalities to receive and understand new information. For most people we have one or sometimes two dominant styles which are more effective when learning new information.

The most well known model for learning styles is VAK/VARK which has three styles:

AUDIO - needs to hear information, either to listen or to participate in discussions.

VISUAL – absorbs information best when shown images, diagrams, flow charts, demonstrations

KINESTHETIC – hands on, write, to touch, to do, to move, to build

I was originally intending to write a post about each of the learning styles but there is already a mountain of great content available at the end of a basic Google search (such as this site which helps you determine your style http://www.businessballs.com/vaklearningstylestest.htm or Wiki). Instead, I'll write about why knowing your learning style and applying it is beneficial.

The acquisition of knowledge is one thing that is 100% within your control, you can invest as much time and energy as you choose. You can also choose the source of the information and which area you wish to develop your knowledge in. That’s exciting!

Choosing the source of new information means you can also select the mode that means you’re most likely to gain the most from it or arm yourself with top tops to make sure you adapt for your style. For example, if you’re a kinesthetic learner then sitting in a presentation or lecture may prove more challenging than a hands-on workshop as you’re sitting still and not ‘doing’ anything. Techniques such as highlighting content, writing notes etc seem basic but make a lot of difference to your retention rate. A quick Google search will give you a lot more techniques to enable the best retention of content delivered in your non-dominant styles.

In Steven Covey’s well known book ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ he dedicates a whole habit (the 7th) to ‘Sharpening the Saw’ which means both persevering and developing the greatest asset you have – you. If we look just at the area of development, that’s where learning is in the spot light. Professionally speaking, investing in your own learning helps you stay ahead of the game (and the competition) which will likely translate into improved performance – now who doesn’t want that?

When we talk of ‘learning’ the typical approach of classroom based learning usually springs to mind but there are an endless array of sources for you to gain new knowledge. Scott Dinsmore from  suggests the following:

  • Watch a 10-18 minute TED Talk every morning http://www.ted.com 
  • Attend a local TED event
  • Read something, anything
  • Always have a book under your arm (or saved on your phone or iPad)
  • Grab a journal and record some recent lessons, epiphanies and ideas
  • Take a personality test
  • Attend a seminar
  • Take a mentor out to dinner
  • Spend time with a business owner
  • Talk ideas with a passionate person

Plus here’s a few more that I recommend:

  • Attend a Chamber of Commerce event with Key note speakers
  • Read blog sites from people who write about topics you’re interested in
  • Read Forums and web posts from opinion leaders and experts (Twitter is a great aggregator for this information)
  • Join  a ‘meet up’ group for a topic of interest
  • Start a ‘meet up’ group
  • Get involved and volunteer in an area you’re passionate about so as to learn first hand
  • Reconnect with Alumni from courses or qualifications you’ve already completed
  • Sign up to ‘Daily Lit’ and subscribe to new content (lots of great free content)

It doesn’t really matter what you learn, just learn something! Keep your mind open to fresh ideas and new perspectives and see what unfolds.