The words may be used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between education and learning. We often use the former to refer to what schools and colleges provide us as we make the transition from child to adult; the quantity of education is measured in terms of the number of degrees you have and the quality, by the schools and institutions you attended and the grades you scored. Learning on the other hand, is a process that continues long after we’ve left the portals of university, and throughout the journey we call life.

A learned person need not be well educated – life teaches a host of lessons that are not on the curricula of any renowned institution. Knowledge is not measured in terms of the degrees we have; in fact, it’s a quality that’s not quantifiable. While an education does provide us with the opportunity to learn, it’s not everyone who uses this opportunity to their advantage. And you’ll find that the ones that do are the ones who are most likely to make learning a continuous, lifelong process.

So how does one go about making the effort to sustain the process of learning even as we are beset by the demands of daily life? Family, work and leisure not withstanding, must you pursue an education to be considered a continuous learner? No, not at all – I reiterate what I said at the beginning of this post, that learning and education are not two sides of the same coin; each in fact, is a whole coin in its own right.

1. Continuous learning means we are aware of the things that go on around us and learn lessons, not just from our mistakes, but from the errors of those around us too.
2. It’s a process where we strive to improve ourselves each day of our lives instead of stagnating like a pool of water that serves only to breed flies.
3. Learning involves being open to new experiences and gaining valuable lessons from these experiences.
4. It means applying the skills and lessons you have learned to every aspect of your life.
5. It means being willing to push yourself to new limits, to improve yourself, both at work and in your personal life.
6. Continuous learning involves having a vision of who you are and what you want to become.
7. It means taking an active role in life and not just being happy to be an innocent bystander and watch it go by.
8. When you’re a learner, you must be ready to accept feedback about your actions, and based on these, improve yourself further.
9. It involves change as a constant companion throughout life, and the willingness to accept these changes.

In a nutshell, continuous learning is a process that is a way of life rather than a one off event that we pass by as we grow old.