Five Ways to be a Successful, Self-directed Learner

What is a self-directed learner?

Self-directed learning is a manner in which the ‘learner’ takes initiative, with or without assistance from others. The learner acknowledges their learning needs, frames their learning goals, identifies the resources they need, and chooses and applies the appropriate learning.

To be a successful, self-directed learner the notion of ‘survival’ seems to be the most apt concept to use.

It is your own survival – as a distinct person.

Learning is an investment in yourself, to increase your value, to be self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses, to learn from your errors, and to be able to evaluate what your achievements are and can be. To be able to realise your full potential and where you currently reside on the scale is the critical analysis that self-learners embrace.

A key part in maintaining your motivation, is improving your self-discipline and ensuring you reward yourself. It is essential for self-discipline, which positive reinforcements can assist you with. The more meaning behind what you are doing, the easier it will be.

Self‐directed learners are motivated, persistent, independent, self‐disciplined, self‐confident

and goal oriented. Everything you want to be, to be successful.

Here are some tips to master Self-Directed Learning.

1. Ascertain your learning goals. Determine what you want to learn is the first step in the process.
2. Monitor your own learning process. Be responsible for your own learning. Set goals and standards. Measure your success in small bite size measurable pieces and celebrate every small win.
3. Understand your own learning style. Determine how you best learn and ensure you adapt this approach.
4. Don’t use time as an excuse. We will always find ‘time’ if something is important to us and we can see the value in ‘time well spent’.
5. Set goals but keep them realistic. One of the major spoil sports of a self-directed learner is not the system, not someone else, but ourselves by setting unrealistic goals. Keep things in perspective and create goals that are challenging but achievable.

Written by Sue Shaylor

Orion Training