What is lifelong learning?

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Have you ever heard of lifelong learning ? Continuous training, or rather, continuous learning, is the main purpose of this concept.

The main objective is linked to the development of competence and technical and behavioral skills, which we can also call soft skills and hard skills .

In this article you will understand:

What is lifelong learning ?
What are soft skills and hard skills ?
What is the purpose of continuous learning?
How important is lifelong learning for companies?
What are the advantages of continuous learning?
4 pillars of lifelong learning
Challenges when applying continuous learning
Tips for applying lifelong learning
Let's go?

lifelong learning cycle
The concept of lifelong learning is simple and means continuous learning. This means that the act of learning goes far beyond the conventional training we know, that which occurs between basic education and postgraduate studies.

The key point of lifelong learning is to propose that learning happens throughout our lives, with no deadline.

If we stop to think about it, continuous learning is present the moment we choose to take a new course, attend a lecture or even during training at the workplace.

And why is everyone talking about this now? The truth is that the job market is driven by competition, and the only tool we have to stay alive in this competition is precisely learning. This means that adopting a mindset of constant development is a characteristic that companies value a lot these days.

Beyond school subjects, the concept of learning is very broad. Therefore, nowadays, it also has a lot to do with behavioral skills.

What are soft and hard skills?
When it comes to skills and competencies, it is practically impossible not to talk about soft and hard skills .

The truth is that nowadays a successful professional has a very different profile than what we were used to until recently.

Behavioral skills and technical skills, when combined, develop an extremely successful professional profile.

But after all, what are hard skills?
A technical skill revolves around your practical knowledge, meaning that the finland mobile phone number ese are skills acquired through a course or accumulated technical experience. Therefore, we are talking about technical skills.

The knowledge you have acquired throughout your life at school, college and other courses are all identified as technical skills, or rather, hard skills .

To better understand which technical skills are most in demand in the global job market, it is worth consulting the study by the World Economic Forum .

And soft skills, what are they?
However, behavioral skills are those based on your experience, the way you see what is around you and how you deal with everyday life and with people .

Also according to the World Economic Forum study, the 10 skills listed by this study as most important are directly linked to behavioral, social, emotional and economic skills.

They are:

● Critical thinking;

● Problem-solving ability;

● Creativity;

● Originality;

● Initiative;

● Leadership

● Tolerance;

● Flexibility.

As you can see, these are some behavioral skills that we cannot acquire in a university class, for example.

Our standard has always been very focused on technical skills; a person was only seen as qualified when they had a vast amount of technical knowledge.

This scenario has changed exponentially in recent times. Currently, companies are increasingly seeking to hire people with a sense of continuous development of soft skills in their selection processes.

What is the purpose of continuous learning?
Do you remember that at the beginning of this text we talked about market competitiveness? Well, the objective is precisely to stimulate development through continuous learning!

When the desire to learn is voluntary and proactive, the professional's development tends to be exponential and better prepared to compete in the market.

And a very important fact about everything we are talking about here is that 9 out of 10 professionals are hired for their technical skills, however, they are fired due to the lack of behavioral skills.

How important is lifelong learning for companies?
The lifelong learning technique is represented worldwide by the Lifelong Learning Council Queensland (LLCQ) , an institution whose main objective is to disseminate the idea of ​​lifelong learning.

The learning process needs to become democratic , stimulating , permanent , voluntary and proactive . In this sense, the purpose of LLCQ is precisely to make this happen.

See below ways for you to learn continuously, thinking about the concept of lifelong learning :

Learning through games and sports;
Learning a new language;
Taking vocational courses;
Studying about different subjects;
Studying targeted topics, such as marketing techniques or application of technologies;
Absorbing knowledge in the work environment itself.
After these examples, it becomes easier to see the path of possibilities to continue the learning process.

When we play sports or even a game, we are learning, for example, to work as a team.

When we commit to learning a new language, we are doing much more than just speaking another language. We are learning a little about the culture of that country, which contributes to our development.

Vocational courses can serve to open up possibilities for new paths ; we automatically end up discovering that we are good at things that never even crossed our minds.

Every time we stop to read about something we have never read before, we are setting ourselves up to learn about it, and once again we are exercising the process of continuous skill.

Do you know all those hours you spend at work throughout the day? Believe me, even in those moments you are learning: learning to listen , to develop new ideas , to communicate , to have a critical sense .

Why should Product Managers adopt lifelong learning?
As we have seen, lifelong learning is essential for professionals in all areas. However, especially for those who work with technology, continuous learning is no longer a recommendation, but a necessity .

Think about it: Product Managers are constantly dealing with changes. These changes can come from a more technical context, thinking about technological innovation itself, or even behavioral and marketing, considering human behavior and market segments.

Therefore, the routine of this type of professional requires an observant eye, which can always be absorbing learning and collecting insights that can be applied to the developed product.

What are the advantages of continuous learning?
Have you ever heard that phrase about no one can take your knowledge away from you?

Well, despite being a cliché, it is the purest truth. Everything you learn cannot be taken away from you, therefore, the advantages and benefits that reach us through learning cannot be stolen from us either.

Development of new skills
This is definitely one of the best advantages of lifelong learning . Learning new things and being able to have your results positively impacted by it is great!

We live in a world where 24 hours seems like a short time to meet our demands. Imagine if you are a disorganized person with your time and that is why you are always working overtime? In that case, if you are looking to develop time management skills.

Therefore, you will be able to be more productive without having to sacrifice your health or even family time to meet your work demands.

Creativity
Creativity is not a gift, but rather a skill that can be developed by any of us.

Whenever we make ourselves available to learn about something, we are stimulating our brain to think . We automatically stimulate our creativity, which is nothing more than thinking outside the box, thinking outside the scope of what we are used to.

Mastery of new technologies
Industry 4.0 is happening before our eyes, and this was only possible because over the years, new technologies were created and more and more people learned to master them.

A great example of this is social networks. Before, we thought it was too complicated to communicate via the internet. After some time using the resource and learning about it, today, social networks are controlled by a large part of the population.

Opportunities
The more you seek to learn, the more competitive you become. This means that better opportunities will open up for your professional profile.

4 pillars of lifelong learning
The lifelong learning mechanism has a structure, and it is by following this structure that continuous learning stops looking like a 7-headed monster. It all starts when we decide to learn how to:

To know
Learning to know has everything to do with questioning yourself ! It is not enough to simply reproduce what you have learned; you need to think about what you have learned.

Knowledge is a structure that can be constructed and reconstructed at any time, and this is only possible when we question ourselves about it.

In this situation, lifelong learning leads us to:

Stimulate and develop critical thinking;
Confront ideas;
Reflect on the content;
Generate questions;
Consider positioning in different situations.
To do
Once you learn how to know, it's time to take the next step, now you're going to learn how to do it!

And it is by learning by doing that the continuous learning process teaches us to develop behavioral skills or soft skills such as:

Ability to adapt to new things;
Work as a team;
Have initiative and proactivity;
Establish good communication;
Have emotional intelligence .
Coexist
You have already learned to know, you have learned to do and now you need to learn to live together ! In this topic we are talking about social skills, a good example is empathy !

And there is learning within the process of coexistence, when we live with people we are learning a little about them and a little about ourselves.

Therefore, whenever possible, practice learning to live with other individuals and see how it will contribute to your development.

To be
Learning to be is putting into practice everything that has been learned throughout the 3 previous pillars. When we practice, we are giving ourselves the chance to develop new skills and continue the process of continuous learning.

Challenges when applying continuous learning
Human beings are driven by challenges and when it comes to learning, it would be no different.

Throughout the lifelong learning process , it is natural for obstacles to arise, and so that you are not caught off guard, see now the main challenges when applying continuous learning.

If you thought you would see a huge list of challenges, you were wrong! The main challenges are related to lack of time and money.

If you can't set aside time in your day to start, then be content with using the time you have left to begin the process of continuous learning. Over time, your routine will adapt and you will be able to organize yourself better when it comes to time.

When the challenge is a lack of money, don't despair, there are free course platforms or even personalized payment methods if you want to take a paid course. The important thing is to get started!

Tips for using lifelong learning
What are your interests?
Stop for a moment and truly question what your interests are. When we talk about voluntary and proactive learning, this has to do with you learning what brings you pleasure and satisfaction, it has to do with you being able to choose what you want to learn!

Change your mindset
Committing to lifelong learning is like committing to a healthy diet! There is no starting point or an end point.

Continuous learning will accompany you throughout your entire life journey, so it is extremely important that you adapt your mindset to this new reality.

Plan
Planning is a must, and what's more, knowing how to plan is a behavioral skill that you can develop if you don't have it!

Create a learning schedule , set deadlines to complete learning about your interests, and of course, don't forget to put all of this into practice.

Track your progress
Monitoring your progress closely will keep you motivated to continue practicing lifelong learning . Progress will be the fuel for your personal and professional development!

Remember your goals
When you think about giving up, remember where you want to go ! Remember the professional you want to be, the quality of life you want to achieve! And most importantly, allow yourself to align your expectations with your current moment in life.

Frequently asked questions about lifelong learning
What are some practical strategies for incorporating lifelong learning into my daily life?
There are several practical strategies for incorporating lifelong learning into your daily life:

Set learning goals : Set clear, specific goals for what you want to learn in the short and long term.
Create a study routine : Dedicate a specific time of the day or week to study, read or participate in online courses.
Use a variety of resources : Explore different learning formats, such as books, podcasts, webinars, online courses, and in-person workshops.
Apply knowledge : Find ways to apply what you learn to personal or professional projects, which helps reinforce knowledge.
Participate in learning communities : Join study groups, online forums or professional networks where you can exchange experiences and learn from others.
How can I measure my continuous learning progress?
Measuring progress in lifelong learning can be done in several ways:

Goal assessment : Regularly review the learning goals you have set and assess your progress towards them.
Learning Portfolio : Keep a record of learning activities, courses completed, certifications earned, and projects undertaken.
Self-Assessment : Reflect on what you have learned and how it has impacted your skills and knowledge.
Feedback from peers and mentors : Solicit feedback from coworkers, supervisors, or mentors about your development and areas for improvement.
Professional performance : Observe how the new knowledge is being applied in your work and whether it has contributed to improving performance and results.
What are the benefits of lifelong learning for a professional career?
Answer : Lifelong learning offers several career benefits, including:

Constant updating : Keeps you up to date with the latest trends and technologies in your field.
Increased employability : Developing new skills and knowledge increases your attractiveness to employers.
Adaptability : Makes you more adaptable to changes in the job market and prepared to face new challenges.
Professional growth : Promotes continuous development, helping you advance in your career and achieve your professional goals.
Networking : Participating in continuous learning courses and events allows you to expand your network and connect with other professionals in the field.