Have you been thinking about educating yourself? Does the prospect of going to college or university frighten you? Are you worried about the cost of doing this? Luckily, you don’t have to stress about any of this. You can educate yourself in many ways that don’t cost lots of money and can be fun. It’s also a fantastic way to motivate yourself and give you the confidence to try new things.
Kickstart Something
Yes, start something. What better way to start educating yourself than to create a worthwhile project and project manage the whole thing? It could be something you are passionate about and want to make a difference. Start a crowd-funded project. Here are a couple of links for sites to get you started. Try out Kickstarter and Indiegogo.
Take Free or Introductory Courses to Learn New Things
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to learn a new skill is to sign up for a cheap or sometimes free course online. It will also allow you to decide if this area suits you.
Alison offers a variety of free courses from Accounting to Web Design and everything in between.
Another great company is Udemy. Here you have to pay a small fee for the courses, but they always have great offers, so they are always great value. With videos from expert instructors, learning is easy.
Once you’ve done one course, you’ll feel motivated to do more and educate yourself further.
Work With a Mentor
Hook up with a mentor. This person with be experienced in their field and more than willing to share that knowledge with a mentee. They can give you valuable insight into your chosen career, interest, etc.
It could be a family friend, relative or somebody you have not met yet. On LinkedIn, you can join a business networking platform and find your new mentor there. Or work with a motivation coach to help you look at everything in your life, find balance, and create a plan to reach your goals.
Become a Volunteer
There are many ways in which you can volunteer, which will all help in educating yourself. Not only will you be helping yourself, but you will also be contributing to the community and helping others.
Volunteers can learn skills in medicine, education or emergency rescue. Here are two links to organisations that work with volunteers on projects worldwide. Try out Volunteer International and VSO International.
Helping others can also motivate you to take charge of other areas of your life and make positive changes.
Start a Small Business
You could start a small business in anything. If it is the first time that you have run a business, you could learn many skills. Running a business will stretch your personal development. You’ll learn customer service, personal confidence, sales and time management. The list is endless.
You might also get involved in the accounts, create business goals and learn about strategy. These are valuable skills that you can take and use throughout your life.
Get Into the Blogosphere
By creating your own blog, you can enjoy many new skills or refine your existing ones. Learn how to make money online and meet people who share your interest/passion and learn more about it.
Blogging can be a platform that leads you to other opportunities. It’s a fascinating world that can keep giving and motivates you to try different areas of content creation!
Educating Yourself by Reading Books
Reading is one of the best ways to educate yourself. You can read something you are passionate about to improve your knowledge. Read about something completely new to learn something different. Or even learn a new language.
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden tested students from the Interpreter Academy. Language students experienced brain growth in the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. They found there were different levels of brain growth in relation to the amount of effort and learning students experienced.
Go and pick up a book and get reading!
Create Online Videos
Last but not least, let´s not forget YouTube, the No.1 video-sharing website https://www.youtube.com/
Most people use this site for entertainment. But there are loads of instructional videos, completely free, for everybody to use. Videos range from how to knit to how to code on the internet.
You can also decide to motivate people with your ideas and thoughts via your own videos.
Educating Yourself Can Help You Create A New Life
You can create a new life for yourself by trying different things. Check out these eight areas and see which ones work best for you. You’ll eventually find one that works perfectly and helps you to broaden your horizons. Motivate yourself by educating yourself. it will open up a new world that you can enjoy even more!
Sally Leslie is a motivational coach and optimist. She helps freelancers and entrepreneurs create balance in their lives and work towards their personal and professional goals. Sally is also a B2B freelance writer for entrepreneurs, SMEs, and startups. A lover of plants, freedom, and football!
