Too Busy To Grow?

If lack of time is the only thing keeping you from learning a new skill, it’s time to rework your schedule. Annabelle D’Costa tells you how

- Annabelle D'Costa

It’s been a while since you added ‘learn a new skill’ to your New Year resolution list, because who has the time! As kids, even a pile of blocks represented the opportunity to build the tallest towers and swings were transformed into rockets heading to the moon. But the possibilities seem to shrink with adulthood. We like the idea of learning something new, but our days are so packed with have-tos that there’s no time for the want-tos. So if you’ve been storming the heavens with prayers to land 25 hours in a day (sigh), it’s time to change your approach. To upgrade your already existing skills or simply to learn new ones, you need to learn to manage with the resources you already have. And you have more than you think.

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Learning something new has a lot of unexpected benefits, like improving one’s memory, verbal dexterity and language skills. Studies show that the more adept you become at a skill, the lesser the strain on your brain to do it. Over time, the skill becomes effortless. This happens because our brain is actually strengthening itself over time as we learn something new. Hospitality professional Amruda Nair can vouch for this,“Learning a new skill trains your mind to adapt and adjust. I once took Spanish lessons because I wanted to understand the songs I was dancing to, but it really helped me grow as a dancer.”