Society tells us that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But it doesn't have to be that way. A new study published in Human Development points out that using a childlike way of learning can help people of any age take on and deal with new difficult tasks. .
Venture (冒险) outside your comfort zone. As adults, we tend to use similar skills day in and day out: We take jobs in fields we're already good at, drive on the same roads to the same places, and fall into routines we're comfortable with. Changing to something more difficult may have more cognitive benefits.
A fear of making mistakes is another reason why adults are so slow to learn new things; if we try and fail, we can face criticism, lose money, or get fired. That's why it's important to build up a support network of people — at work and at home — who allow you to make mistakes and learn from them.
Make a serious commitment and don't give up. If you can afford it, spending money on a new goal — for example, booking a trip to Rome to practice your Italian — might also make it harder to just give up.
Learn more than one thing at once. We tend to pay attention to one hobby or one skill. But dividing that time and energy into three or four areas will stretch your brain in all different directions. For example, maybe you started learning a new language last year, and this year you add singing lessons, and next year you try something else. You can add things gradually to what you can handle.
A．Turn to your friends and family.
B．The following ways will do the trick.
C．Surround yourself with encouraging people and no fear for mistakes.
D．Telling friends about your new goal can help keep you motivated.
E．But all this similar routine limits the parts of the brain that we're using regularly.
F．That doesn't mean you should start all the new hobbies all at once, though.
G．So feeling comfortable can reduce stress and make you happier and more productive.
