Having been a self-development trainer for many years I have come to the conclusion that when looking at the many life skills that humans need to master in order to mould for themselves a joyous, fulfilling and creative life, accelerated learning skills are probably the most important of all. Not only do these skills make a huge difference to the individual, they also have a massive impact on the corporate sector. The annual figure spent on corporate training is colossal and yet without the implementation of these foundation skills it is apparent that the vast majority of this money, representing thousands of pounds, is being totally wasted.
As opposed to the ‘one career’ life typical of yesteryear, in today’s age most people are being required to make several changes during their working life. It is predicted by Charles Handy, Professor of Economics, that in the generation to come it will not be unusual for someone to have between 5 and 7 completely separate careers. This means that not only must we be adept at change, but also comfortable and confident amongst this constant bombardment of new information and demand for learning. It is already the case that ‘intellectually’ talented people demand higher salaries than those that are ‘physically’ advantaged, and this will be increasingly so in the work environment that is developing.
In this ever-changing world with its fast pace, uncertainty and job insecurity, the only thing that is certain is uncertainty itself. In almost all occupations knowledge is doubling every 2-3 years meaning that someone who is fully qualified in the year 1999 might find their qualifications woefully inadequate by the year 2002.
As the economy in the world shifts, people who are appropriately educated will tend to do best and the premium that society will pay for such skills will climb. ‘Appropriate’ education will be increasingly biased towards the incorporation of accelerated learning techniques, which will provide the core skills necessary to succeed and grow in the years to come. It is important that you look upon life as a lifelong adventure, and appreciate that the future belongs to those who are prepared to change and learn, and that to stand still is really to go backwards
The most important aspect of learning is being proficient in how to learn. Once you can master this ability, no new project, language or situation will again overwhelm you. And once you possess the basic techniques then, like riding a bicycle, they will be with you forever, meaning ‘the world is your oyster’.
To increase your effectiveness in studying in this new age of information overload must you just push yourself harder? Fortunately, the answer is NO. Rising stress levels caused by the need to acquire boundless information forced a study of this issue and a search for solutions. The result was the set of principles developed by academics and known internationally as ‘accelerated learning’. This uses some of the recent advances in cognitive science and offers an exciting new prospective on harnessing the whole brain’s phenomenal capabilities. Accelerated learning offers ways to unlock an amazing array of cognitive skills.
• Exponentially increased abilities for gathering, storing, comprehending, synthesising, sorting, implementing and retaining new-found knowledge.
• Improved concentration and efficiency for stress-free learning.
• Better strategic, critical and creative thinking.
Paradoxically, the strategy to access your huge hidden capabilities is not simply to push yourself harder but to work much more closely with your own hidden mind. Since these concepts are different from most traditional approaches to learning accelerated learning has developed avenues to greatly facilitate whole and direct brain function. Accelerated learning improves our approach to study through learning, research and theory and the laws governing the functioning of the brain. And uses techniques that tap into your brain’s amazing and awesome capabilities.
But before considering entering upon the study of accelerated learning skills you should assess yourself – do you possess the two fundamental characteristics necessary without which you cannot even begin to develop yourself to your greatest potential?
1. A genuine desire to want to learn, and
2. A strong seated belief in your ability to learn.
Without fulfilling these basic criteria all the techniques and skills in the world will be of no use whatsoever and you will never fully develop.
So, what are Accelerated Learning Techniques? They are seven pillars, which combine to effectively provide a profoundly efficient and stress-free method of learning. These are:-
• Understanding the power of the mind and how it works
• Recognising the nine intelligence ‘types’ and identifying your own
• Using mind maps
• Using music
• Speed reading
• Developing effective memory techniques
• Knowing how to study and learn
n increasing number of companies are feeling the economic strain of providing necessary training, and are realising that much of the money invested in this vital area is not justified by the subsequent results. Returning to people who have attended courses after periods of one, three and six months, it is devastatingly apparent that very little of the course learning has been retained, and even less implemented. If 80% of learning is so rapidly lost it means that effectively 80% of the training budget is wasted. Therefore, it is essential that the basic skills of learning be absorbed first so that subsequent training is worthwhile. People need to have an understanding of how the brain works so that they can use it in the most effective way, and once they have established the skills incorporated within accelerated learning techniques they will find their life very much enhanced. Not only will it help them in their work but many other aspects of their life.
Hope, you enjoy this article.
Gerard
Author Resource:-
Gerard O' Donovan is the founder of Noble Manhattan coaching Ltd, one of Europe's longest established coach training companies. He is also CEO of the European Coaching Institute, one of the world wide governing bodies from the profession of coaching. Gerard is one of the most highly sought-after executive coaches in Europe.
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