The tools to learn are easier to access than ever. We still have libraries, but now we have apps that are digital libraries like Libby. You can use podcasts, watch the right videos on YouTube, there are Itunes U and so many other resources that are just at your disposal. There is a reason that people are not using these resources, though. I got the fix for you, though, so you don’t need to worry. One thing you can delete to learn more each day, delete music out of your life.
One key to building new habits is to make the old habit you want to get rid of invisible.
Why is Music a Distraction?
First off, I don’t think that music itself is evil or anything. I love music, and that is the problem. Music is fun, and its way more attractive than listening to a podcast or taking a course. If you give most people a choice between a hard workout and watching Netflix, the results will surprise no one.
The problem with music is it alters your mood but not your life. You can bump a song and be no better off or prepared to attack life. But when you listen to a podcast, you can pull a brand new idea from it that you can use to better your life. That's why one thing you can delete to learn more each day is music.
Make It Invisible
One key to building new habits is to make the old habit you want to get rid of invisible. For example, when people say they need to eat better, the best way to do that is never to bring the bad foods inside your house. If you see them, you are going to be tempted to eat them.
With Music, you look at most people's phones, and you see Spotify, Pandora, and other music apps just waiting to be used. I delete them to make them invisible. When I write articles like this one, I listen to Pandora, so I have to add it back from the App Store and login each day that I write. I make it hard to listen to Music.
Enjoy the Fruits of Learning
When music is not at your fingertips, you can bless your mind with new information. As I said before, there are so many apps and products out now that let you learn FREE of cost. You have to want to do it. Most people seem not to want to. Learning is not fun sometimes.
Learning helps to blot out ignorance. The best thing about learning more is that it makes you excited to learn more. It opens your eyes to how much you don’t know. You want to fill the gaps of what you don’t know even though you know there is no chance.
Great Learning Resources
Blinkist – Read entire books in 15 -minutes
Libby – Rent digital library books for free with a library card
Your Local Library – Rent out books for free
Podcasts – Learn on any topic you can imagine
Kindle – Get books from Amazon straight to your pocket
iTunes U – Take courses from top Universities like Stanford
Smartly – Get your MBA for free from your phone
Duolingo – Learn a new language from your phone
TED Talks – Listen to some of the best talks on the planet
The Habit of Learning Daily
Think about where your life could be if you spent 15 minutes learning a new language, 30 minutes taking a course on Smartly, and you read for 20 minutes a day. Where would your life be if you kept that up daily for two years? You would be a completely different human being! Please don’t sleep on the power of habit and its exponential power.
By listening to less music, you are giving yourself the window to learn more. This is the same reason that our habit-building system wants you to wake up early in the morning. By getting up early, you create room in your day to get other things done with focus.