On Lifelong Learning
My mother always wanted to be a college history professor. She put that dream on hold for much of her life, as she worked two jobs as a nurse to support me, my brother, and my sister by herself. But once my siblings and I went off to college, my mom enrolled in the College of Staten Island and received her bachelor’s degree and then her master’s by taking night classes while continuing to work as a nurse by day. She’s now a professor of history at her alma mater.
She’s a living example of how it’s never too late. In her spirit, we’ve devoted a few recent episodes of the Sweat the Technique podcast to lifelong learning:
Camp for Adults and the Power of Fitness Communities
I interviewed Sadie Durante, the founder of Power Monkey Fitness Camp (and former aerial performer), about why camps are not just for kids — and how short, intense periods of learning can be both fun and effective. She also discusses how community can help motivate people to get and stay healthy. Listen here.
One Skill Per Year
I recently wrote in this newsletter about how I’ve focused on one new hobby/skill each of the past five years. A few weeks ago, I had an extended conversation with Ryan Hill about my approach and why you should consider adopting it. Listen here.
Ultralearning
In this episode, I sat down with Scott Young, who is best known for his 2019 book Ultralearning and is a renowned learning and personal development expert. He shares his insights into optimizing your learning process so that you can acquire new skills faster and more effectively than ever before. Listen here.
Where Adults Learn to Surf
I interviewed Ru Hill on location in Costa Rica. Ru is the founder and owner of Surf Simply, one of the most renowned surf schools in the world. We discussed why it’s almost never too late to follow your passion — and how many of the best practices in K-12 schools also apply to sports and adult learning. Listen here.
If you want to hear more, subscribe to the Sweat the Technique podcast.