Nudge Challenge Week 12 = Get Smart, Specifically
NUDGED: "Research a topic (be an expert!) in a specialized area"
BACKSTORY: I am a curious person who knows a little bit about a lot of things. I am trained as a journalist, so I have a wide range of study but lack depth in a specialized (niche) area like other professions. I find myself doing web searches often to learn new things. I am quickly satisfied when I find an answer that seems plausible and move on, lacking depth. With this nudge, I really want to take time to research and go deep into a topic of interest.
QUOTE: "If you are not learning, you are stuck. It doesn't matter whether you are 25 or 70 years old. We were not put on earth for a few years to learn in high school or college, then just float through the rest of our lives. Learning today is becoming easier and harder for many reasons, but in the end, if you don't make it a life mission to learn something valuable every day, why are you still here? Learn something new today." - Tim Connor at www.timconnor.com, found in WorldWide Drilling Resource magazine, November 2018 issue.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:
So, what topic should I research? I quickly discovered the hardest part of this nudge was selecting ONE TOPIC to study this week. I wanted to find something that interested me, preferably something that I already knew a little about, and wanted it to be in a specialized area that not everyone knew about. I had to rein myself in from my instinct to study 10 topics this week to be an overachiever. Just pick one. ONE.
I thought about researching places, animals, people or history, but nothing seemed to fit. The entire week's success depended on picking the right topic.
Inspiration struck as I looked over at my bookshelf. I loved studying fonts and typography in college and bought a book on the topics last year, titled "How to Choose and Use Fonts and Typefaces". I was so excited when I purchased the book, but forgot about it when it found a home on my bookshelf. I hadn't read it once! This would be my topic to study fully this week, and I had a great, reliable source for information.
I read and studied this book all week, taking lots of notes as I read as I always do. I learned about the history of printing and when specific fonts were created, the challenge of legibility vs readability, the best fonts for print and online, what the ideal character count per line is, how to mix serifs, etc. SO GOOD! I really enjoyed it. I had the desire many times to tell others about what I was learning that was so interesting for me, but kept reminding myself that this nudge was for MY benefit...and other people may not understand or care. :)
LESSONS LEARNED:
1) I like fonts and typefaces! It is an area of interest for me and I really enjoyed taking time to learn more.
2) I was surprised to find I already had some areas of specialized knowledge that other people may not have. I always thought I had a broad range of information but that's not true. I like it when people ask me for font and typography design questions as they see me as the "expert".
3) I am a life-long learner and have a growth mindset. See quote above. I like learning new things and want to spend more time learning this year. This week really inspired me to keep following my curiosity, to become a better, smarter, happier me!
NEXT UP: "Compliment a stranger" is my new nudge for the week. It may be difficult to talk to a stranger, especially to compliment them, but I will try. We'll see how it goes!!!
BACKSTORY: I am a curious person who knows a little bit about a lot of things. I am trained as a journalist, so I have a wide range of study but lack depth in a specialized (niche) area like other professions. I find myself doing web searches often to learn new things. I am quickly satisfied when I find an answer that seems plausible and move on, lacking depth. With this nudge, I really want to take time to research and go deep into a topic of interest.
QUOTE: "If you are not learning, you are stuck. It doesn't matter whether you are 25 or 70 years old. We were not put on earth for a few years to learn in high school or college, then just float through the rest of our lives. Learning today is becoming easier and harder for many reasons, but in the end, if you don't make it a life mission to learn something valuable every day, why are you still here? Learn something new today." - Tim Connor at www.timconnor.com, found in WorldWide Drilling Resource magazine, November 2018 issue.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:
So, what topic should I research? I quickly discovered the hardest part of this nudge was selecting ONE TOPIC to study this week. I wanted to find something that interested me, preferably something that I already knew a little about, and wanted it to be in a specialized area that not everyone knew about. I had to rein myself in from my instinct to study 10 topics this week to be an overachiever. Just pick one. ONE.
I thought about researching places, animals, people or history, but nothing seemed to fit. The entire week's success depended on picking the right topic.
Inspiration struck as I looked over at my bookshelf. I loved studying fonts and typography in college and bought a book on the topics last year, titled "How to Choose and Use Fonts and Typefaces". I was so excited when I purchased the book, but forgot about it when it found a home on my bookshelf. I hadn't read it once! This would be my topic to study fully this week, and I had a great, reliable source for information.
I read and studied this book all week, taking lots of notes as I read as I always do. I learned about the history of printing and when specific fonts were created, the challenge of legibility vs readability, the best fonts for print and online, what the ideal character count per line is, how to mix serifs, etc. SO GOOD! I really enjoyed it. I had the desire many times to tell others about what I was learning that was so interesting for me, but kept reminding myself that this nudge was for MY benefit...and other people may not understand or care. :)
LESSONS LEARNED:
1) I like fonts and typefaces! It is an area of interest for me and I really enjoyed taking time to learn more.
2) I was surprised to find I already had some areas of specialized knowledge that other people may not have. I always thought I had a broad range of information but that's not true. I like it when people ask me for font and typography design questions as they see me as the "expert".
3) I am a life-long learner and have a growth mindset. See quote above. I like learning new things and want to spend more time learning this year. This week really inspired me to keep following my curiosity, to become a better, smarter, happier me!
NEXT UP: "Compliment a stranger" is my new nudge for the week. It may be difficult to talk to a stranger, especially to compliment them, but I will try. We'll see how it goes!!!
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