Here is some of what I’ve learned about my learning style:
1. I think best when I can take notes.
At a recent gathering, the facilitator asked us to put our laptops and paper away for the first half of the day, and it nearly disabled me. I was probably the slow guy in the room, but I wasn’t able to process the information or gain much. The last part of the day worked for me.
2. I’m a practitioner.
I don’t do theory very well for very long. At some point, it’s got to make sense. It must answer, “What the heck does this mean in the real world?”
3. I’m a listener first.
A writer second. A talker third. Not saying that is the right order, but it is how I’m wired. Sometimes in small learning environments that is misunderstood as disengagement. That usually isn’t true.
4. Meeting people wears me out.
That’s not their fault. It’s just my personality. Being an introvert, mixing with people I don’t know requires energy and focus that isn’t natural. However, the older I get the more I appreciate and seek opportunities to network. I learn from others when I have a chance to hear what they are learning.
5. I am a research fanatic.
Smart phones and iPad’s were made for guys like me who love to constantly and instantly be learning more about the things I see or people I meet.
Be a lifelong learner, always looking for what God is teaching you, and one sentence from a business magazine could revolutionize the way your church is organized.
How do you learn best? Are you making sure your schedule allows time to learn?
