4 Play Before You Work
Humans, like all mammals, learn best through play. Puppies, kittens, and human children all use play time to master the skills they will need to get through life! It’s not different with IT. The problem is, by the time we get around to learning computer languages and IT topics, many of us have grown up and may be worried about serious matters like earning a living or taking care of our own children. This can make play time for us seem like waste. Really, though, even if you want to learn IT only for the most serious of purposes, best way to learn IT more quickly is to have some fun with it! Playing around with IT in an exploratory manner is allows you to really learn how things work.
Before you try a difficult project, “play” with your code or your IT tools by doing low risk experiments that are easy and fun. Break things on purpose, then fix them again. Take everything apart and put it back together again. Try to race against the clock. Race against a friend or work in cooperation with a friend. Do whatever makes you feel good! Practice your skills in a playful way before you try to do anything serious with them.
Among other things, play is fun. When it comes to learning, “fun” is not the opposite of “work”. Having fun will actually let you accomplish more! For one thing, having fun helps to put you into a good mood. This can be valuable for learning. Positive emotions like these have been shown to activate learning:
- interest
- curiosity
- wonder
- passion
- creativity
- engagement
- joy
When you find projects that spark your interest, you will learn more. When you enjoy your work, you will be able to work more. For a long, successful IT career, do not forget to find the fun in it!