Asking Yourself These Five Questions Could Change Your Life for the Better

A quick check-in:

1. Does your life seem to be a little boring and “on repeat?”

2. Could you use a mini confidence or energy boost?

3. Ever feel like you have more brain freezes or you’re slower to catch on than when you were younger?

4. Do you struggle to come up with interesting things to say when asked what you’ve been up to lately?

5. Do you want to do something simply because you want to and not because you have to do it?

If you answered yes to even one of those, I get it. Been there, felt all of that.

Time to get spicy

Something I likely knew but only realized a little while ago is that learning something new can make a difference in all of those areas. Yeah, I know what you’re probably thinking, but hear me out, Sis. Expanding your knowledge even a little can get you out of the same-old-same-old rut, give you some mental clarity and add spice to your conversations and joy to your days.

How do I know? Well, I’m the type of person who’s always been big on trying to keep learning. I went back to school as an older student. I create random arts and crafts projects from TikTok. I challenge myself to learn new hula hoop tricks. I even tried teaching myself a new language I knew I would never use.

Some of that might sound like a waste of time. But turns out, my curiosity and love for lifelong learning are actually good for my brain. According to Harvard Health, mentally stimulating activities, like trying something unfamiliar or challenging, support memory and neuroplasticity, your brain’s ability to build new pathways and connections. In other words, learning new things helps to keep your brain strong and working at its best.

So when I came across a “learn a new skill every week” challenge online, I was more than ready to try it for a month. Up until that point, most of my learning (outside of school) had been random, whenever the mood struck. Doing it more often and with more intention would be different. Here’s how it went:

My learn-a-new-skill-each-week challenge

Week 1: Nail art

I do my own manicures with gel polish, but I’ve always struggled with designs. So I picked out some nail art tutorials on YouTube and TikTok, gathered my nail tools and followed along. Some of my “art” was atrocious, but I ended up learning how to do a few designs that actually look good.

Week 2: Candle making

I signed up for a group class at a candle bar. The instructor helped us make a candle from scratch. I got to choose the kind of container and scent I wanted for my candle. Pouring the wax had me nervous because you have to keep the wick centered. But my candle turned out so cute.