Anyone who wants to grow and achieve things needs a strategy to get there, and we have just the tool to help you reach these goals. The best way to do this is with a five-minute daily learning plan. It will give the best learning outcomes. If you have five minutes, you can do this.
We can use our habitual nature to create good habits. Establishing a pattern that will be a vehicle for positive change takes five minutes a day. A daily routine learning plan is a pathway for unlimited growth. An ideal plan is a blended approach that you use regularly. This kind of approach allows you to apply what you have learned.
Using the Blended Learning Approach
Anyone can use this proven technology to create a plan for continuous learning. It starts with learning how to learn and deciding what is valuable to learn. Executing the learning plan every day is key to optimal learning.
The blended model is a system that uses all learning styles, memory tools, and senses, along with feedback exercises, to ensure optimal learning. Last, the model recommends daily data review in small increments, forward and backward. If you use this blended approach, you will increase learning and long-term retention.
Learning is a process that involves our memory and our imagination. When we enhance our memory, our learning capability increases. Thankfully, there are age-old techniques for creating a memory palace. That’s a whole different subject. We’ll give a short example of how this works.
Once you’ve created a memory framework, you can enter any data you want. The important thing is to use your memory framework every day so that it becomes well established and comfortable routine. This process is the framework for a powerful daily language learning routine which we will discuss in a moment.
“I don’t want people to think they can attain realization simply by listening to others or by reading books. They must practice what they read and hear. You must know the difference between imagination, theoretical knowledge, and true realization. Could you nourish yourself by only listening to a talk on food? To know food only theoretically is to always remain hungry. You must eat to satisfy your hunger. So he who seeks new doctrines continuously but does not put them into practice in his life is in continual spiritual starvation.” — Paramahansa Yogananda (1)
A blended learning approach makes learning efficient and fun. It works in concert with creating a memory framework system, thus, enabling you to memorize large amounts of data.
Could this be where Nike got their slogan, Just do it? You must apply what you have learned to ensure you have the data encoded. You can attend classes and listen to exceptional teachers, but they only show what you can do if you implement the knowledge.
Your permanent memory is where you put things you want to retain forever. It may be things you’ll only need in an emergency, like the international morse code or first aid steps. Some people use it to memorize music for concerts or whole books. It’s great for foreign languages, which we’ll use as an example.
Daily Language Learning Routine 1
There are several applications and programs for language learning. However, the problem with these applications is that they don’t engage all the memory enhancement elements needed to make learning fun. If it isn’t fun, your mind won’t like it as much and won’t move what you learn to your long-term memory.
There’s a better way. We’ll use one of the memory enhancement frameworks to show you how to use it to learn new language skills. This way, you’ll know how to apply the learning process to make it fun. We’ll take you through the first five steps.
Your daily language learning routine starts with a visit to your home. You’ll be using ALL THE memory enhancement elements in this example.
Imagine yourself walking up to your house from the street. See it in your mind’s eye. It’s a sunny day, so feel the warmth and smell the air. Your first stop is your mailbox. See the mailbox. It’s a beautiful, sunny day. Feel the sunshine on your face.
Second is your driveway or walkway up to the walk. Imagine yourself walking up to the house. See the driveway and everything on either side and feel the breeze on this beautiful day.
Third, you walk up to your front porch. Again, see it clearly in your mind; step up on your porch. Feel yourself walking.
Fourth, you reach your front door. Reach out and feel the door handle. Open the door and walk into your entry. Feel and see yourself walking in. The wonderful breeze of the sunny day is shining into the house.
Fifth, you walk into your house and go to the coat closet. See the closet and open it.
You’ve completed this virtual journey with five steps. Now do it in reverse, counting each position. The fifth is the coat closet, the front door is the fourth, the front porch is the third, the second is the driveway, and the first is the mailbox. You can add additional locations by walking around your house.
It’s simple and easy to remember. It’s a place in your memory palace where you can place things you want to remember. We’ll use these five places to associate new words for our daily routine learning plan. Applying what you learned to create a framework for practical use is key.
Daily Language Learning Routine 2
Okay, how would you like to learn the Indonesian language? We’ll use the journey to our house to get started. Once we fill the house, we’ll use this strategy by traveling to other real or imaginary locations. Guess what? Your memory is as boundless as your imagination. We’ll use some additional memory enhancers in the following example.
We start our journey at the mailbox. It’s early in the morning this time. Our first stop is the mailbox, with a giant talking salamander inside. The salamander smiles and says; I have a package for you. It’s a talking salamander giving me a package in the morning. This kind of extraordinary word picture is exactly what you need to cement the meaning of the following phrase in your memory.
We turn the image of the salamander with our mail into a word picture to help us remember the way to say “good morning” in Indonesian. Salamander sounds like “Selamat,” and the package becomes “pagi.” Good morning in Indonesian is Selamat Pagi.
The second thing we do is walk up the driveway. We see a Bee throwing a Javelin as we walk up the driveway. It’s turning out to be a crazy morning. Luckily, the bee was not throwing his javelin at us. We turn this word picture into walking in Indonesian. Bee becomes “ber,” and javelin becomes “Jalan” for the word “Berjarlan,” which means to walk, run or go.
Now you see how to use your imagination to word-picture associations. The crazier the image, the better. It makes learning fun. And it’s the primary strategy for creating a daily language learning routine. Your mind will look forward to playing this learning game.
The third stop on this journey is the front porch, but tree branches have fallen and are in the way. Move all the tree branches before opening the front door. The phrase tree branches “sounds like” the Indonesian word “Beranda,” for porch.
When you open the front door at stop four, there’s someone there to greet us, and they say, please come in. After all, it is your house. They say I’m a sea captain, glad to meet my pet muskrat. What? A sea captain and muskrat? Sea captain muskrat sounds like the Indonesian term Silakan Masuk for please come in.
The fifth step is to enter and go to the coat closet. You open the closet, and a cute little lemur jumps out. A lemur is a small fox-like creature living on Madagascar’s African island and some tiny neighboring islands. Lemur sounds like “lemari,” the Indonesian word for closet.
Apply What You Have Learned
Okay, so you have a story with your first five Indonesian words. Now, practice them backward. Turn around and go from your closet to the mailbox. Then ask yourself, what are the second and third words? Use the word pictures to recall them. Practice one more time from start to finish.
This strategy is how you should practice locking a new language into your memory. The key to a daily language learning routine is to practice this set every day for at least a week. It will take you about one minute to practice. Then, you can add another five words. You can continue through the house or use another progression framework if you’ve practiced the framework enough to recall it on demand. Five is the magic number to add and review.
If you own a library full of books about higher states of consciousness, this will help you prepare. You can listen to podcasts and books on tape and even attend lectures. These resources will give you knowledge and theory.
However, one must create a habit of practicing what you’ve learned. Otherwise, your knowledge is of no benefit. You won’t open the doors to other states of consciousness unless you practice techniques.
Long retreats are just one way you can learn and progress. Most of our growth comes in small incremental steps. Your nervous system is a sophisticated instrument, and it needs time to normalize learning and shift in perception.
Small steps are an excellent approach to spiritual exploration. Learn and practice seated and moving mindfulness meditation techniques. They take as little as 1 minute to apply what you have learned. Even a few moments of silence and rest will enable you to return to the activity more focused. Try it.
Pick one type of spiritual practice from the eightfold path. If you don’t know what these are, follow the link. The important thing is to start. You know, applying what you learn to get excellent results is vital.
Here’s the key: create time for your daily routine learning plan. Carve out five minutes a day to practice or rehearse the new data. Daily practice locks it into your memory.
Avoid Spiritual Fast Food
The main cause of spiritual stagnation is counterfeit spirituality. How do you spot a counterfeit? A system that does not contain methods that change consciousness is a counterfeit. If it does not have ways to change awareness, there is no way to apply what you learned.
These spiritual junk food outlets are popular. You can find them under the banner of the Abrahamic religions. You may know them as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.
The spiritual junk food they sell justifies all forms of discrimination and bias. They are responsible for wars and genocides. Yet, we allow them to spread their sectarian hatred around the world as freedom of choice.
It is interesting how they try to portray themselves as peaceful and loving. They sponsor outreach programs to assist some communities.
On the surface, these community efforts look like they are positive. These three religions run orphanages in many 3rd world countries. However, they use these outreach efforts to build their customer base. It’s not charity; it’s a way to create followers, not freethinkers.
How a Follower Differs from a Spiritual Explorer
A follower needs continual programming to solidify the paradox of ignoring the truth. Most go every week, and some need to go more often. All they do is repeat and memorize doctrine and dogma to overcome the facts that threaten their worldview. The study of mythology is counter-productive to your daily learning routine.
Being a follower is about theology and philosophy. It centers on stories of Sages and Avatars. They learn about those who experienced great awakening and transformation, but these stories are absent from any processes that can transform consciousness. Philosophies, doctrine, and dogma are distractions from meaningful self-discovery.
Western organized religion is a glorified sales technique designed to have you believe something mystical will happen after you die. Afterlife rewards get you nowhere while you are living. Substituting mythology for action isn’t practicing; it’s accepting a counterfeit to keep you from facing the driving forces behind your spiritual desires.
If you practice organized religion, you must keep returning because there’s no spiritual nourishment. Western organized religion is the fast food of true spirituality. It tastes like food, but it’s only a food-like substitute. They can’t sell you anything if you walk your path and develop your practice.
A spiritual explorer is someone who learns to apply the learning. It’s not enough to learn about consciousness tools, you must put them into practice. Those who practice are the only ones who attain realization.
Don’t confuse applying learning with indoctrination. Don’t confuse subjecting yourself to the negative programming of social media or religious indoctrination with a daily learning routine of spiritual development.
Daily Routine Learning Plan and Consciousness
Everyone has their way of awakening, and we have spiritual gifts to aid in this quest. These gifts are sleeping in our DNA. Awakening these gifts is the key; to do this, you must apply what you learn. It opens our minds to new potentials.
Committing to daily practice creates a practical foundation for learning. Your mind will look forward to creating new networks and connections.
This strategy isn’t unique. We see this same tactic used by many learning organizations. George Gurdjieff used a similar method to include eclectic techniques into his framework.
Practices that Produce Results
Spiritual technologies are what we call methods for exploring human consciousness. They comprise a diverse body of tools for human development.
These methods do not require religious belief, although some religions “adopted” these practices are part of their tradition. You can identify these techniques from the mythology if they can be used apart from the doctrine. For example, using many meditation methods only requires you to follow the process—no need to believe in imaginary friends.
We divide these kinds of tools into four categories:
How To Apply What you Have Learned
The first step from the researcher to the spiritual explorer is often the hardest. We don’t want to make a mistake. So, the best way to avoid big mistakes is to use practices that produce results from the list of recommended spiritual technologies.
Use your smartphone. Set a reminder to do something. It can be as simple as 1 minute of mindfulness meditation or one yoga pose. How about the two-step beginning meditation? Anyone can learn and practice the beginning meditation technique. Make this a good habit. What’s important is that you establish a daily learning routine that will solidify the knowledge.
How To Attain Realization
Realization is a sign of intellectual and spiritual growth. It often comes slowly in small incremental steps. We are looking for giant leaps but miss most of the growth if we don’t learn to spot the small steps. The spiritual journal mentioned above is one of the best tools to help you spot incremental change and keep you on track. It will also help you spot the small steps of realization.
Walking the path requires finding methods that affect awareness and consciousness. You can gain much knowledge from studying, reading, and listening. But all this knowledge will go to waste unless you apply what you have learned. So, we highly recommend you find a resource or teacher to give you one or more of the above spiritual technologies. Your focus must be on practices that produce results. It is the only way to attain realization. Don’t get stuck in theory. Don’t be afraid to start. Just do it.
References
(1) Sayings of Paramahansa Yogananda, by Paramahansa Yogananda 1980.
(2) Joseph Campbell; Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
