What is Lifelong Learning?

Lifelong learning is a form of self-initiated education that is focused on personal

development. While there is no standardized definition of lifelong learning, it has
generally been taken to refer to the learning that occurs outside of a formal educational
institute, such as a school, university or corporate training.

Lifelong learning does not necessarily have to restrict itself to informal learning,
however. It is best described as being voluntary with the purpose of achieving personal
fulfillment. The means to achieve this could result in informal or formal education.

Importance of lifelong learning

Whether pursuing personal interests and passions or chasing professional ambitions,

lifelong learning can help us to achieve personal fulfillment and satisfaction.

It recognizes that humans have a natural drive to explore, learn and grow and
encourages us to improve our own quality of life and sense of self-worth by paying
attention to the ideas and goals that inspire us.

We’re all lifelong learners

But what does personal fulfillment mean? The reality is that most of us have goals or
interests outside of our formal schooling and jobs. This is part of what it means to be

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human: we have a natural curiosity and we are natural learners. We develop and grow
thanks to our ability to learn.

Lifelong learning recognizes that not all of our learning comes from a classroom.

 For example, in childhood, we learn to talk or ride a bike.

 As an adult, we learn how to use a smartphone or learn how to cook a

new dish.

These are examples of the everyday lifelong learning we engage in on a daily basis,
either through socialization, trial and error, or self-initiated study.

Personal fulfillment and development refer to natural interests, curiosity, and

motivations that lead us to learn new things. We learn for ourselves, not for someone
else.

Key checklist for lifelong learning:

 Voluntary

 Self-motivated or self-initiated

 Doesn’t always require a cost

 Often informal

 Self-taught or instruction that is sought

 Motivation is out of personal interest or personal development

Examples of lifelong learning

Here are some of the types of lifelong learning initiatives that you can engage in:

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  Developing a new skill (eg. sewing, cooking, programming, public
speaking, etc)

 Self-taught study (eg. learning a new language, researching a topic of

interest, subscribing to a podcast, etc)

 Learning a new sport or activity (eg. Joining martial arts, learning to

ski, learning to exercise, etc)

 Learning to use a new technology (smart devices, new software

applications, etc)

 Acquiring new knowledge (taking a self-interest course via online

education or classroom-based course)

Benefits of lifelong learning

Incorporating lifelong learning in your life can offer many long-term benefits,
including:

1. Renewed self-motivation

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut doing things simply because we have to do them, like
going to work or cleaning the house. Figuring out what inspires you puts you back in
the driver’s seat and is a reminder that you can really do things in life that you want to
do.

2. Recognition of personal interests and goals

Re-igniting what makes you tick as a person reduces boredom, makes life more
interesting, and can even open future opportunities. You never know where your
interests will lead you if you focus on them.

3. Improvement in other personal and professional skills

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While we’re busy learning a new skill or acquiring new knowledge, we’re also building
other valuable skills that can help us in our personal and professional lives.

This is because we utilize other skills in order to learn something new. For example,
learning to sew requires problem-solving. Learning to draw involves developing
creativity.

Skill development can include interpersonal skills, creativity, problem-solving, critical

thinking, leadership, reflection, adaptability and much more.

4. Improved self-confidence

Becoming more knowledgeable or skilled in something can increase our self-confidence

in both our personal and professional lives.

 In our personal lives, this confidence can stem from the satisfaction of
devoting time and effort to learning and improving, giving us a sense of
accomplishment.

 In our professional lives, this self-confidence can be the feeling of trust

we have in our knowledge and the ability to apply what we’ve learned.

Organizational lifelong learning

Sometimes lifelong learning is used to describe a type of behavior that employers are
seeking within the organization. Employers are recognizing that formal education
credentials are not the only way to recognize and develop talent and that lifelong
learning may be the desired trait.

Thanks to the fast pace of today’s knowledge economy, organizations are seeing
lifelong learning as a core component in employee development. The idea is that

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employees should engage in constant personal learning in order to be adaptable and
flexible for the organization to stay competitive and relevant.

This type of personal learning is often referred to as continuous learning. You can read
more about continuous learning and what it means for both the employee and employer
here.

According to some researchers, however, there is criticism that organizations are

leveraging the concept of lifelong learning in order to place the responsibility of
learning on employees instead of offering the resources, support and training needed to
foster this kind of workforce.

Do I need to be proactive about lifelong learning?

Most people will learn something new at some point in their daily routine just by talking
with other people, browsing the internet based on personal interest, reading the
newspaper, or engaging in personal interest.

However, if making more effort to learn something new is important for either personal,
family, or career reasons, or there is a need for a more organized structure, then here are
some steps to get started.