Use Your Learning Style to Boost Your Productivity
Eye Photo by Amanda Dalbjörn on Unsplash, Ear Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash, Legs Photo by Farrel Nobel on Unsplash
Your learning style is simply the way that your brain best processes info. And knowing your learning style, and using that knowledge, is a great way to boost your productivity.
(Don’t know your learning style? Take this quiz to find out.)
There are 3 basic learning styles: visual, auditory and tactile/kinetic (and you might have some tendencies from each, but skew towards one).
You probably remember learning about your learning style at some point in school, and it was likely related to how you should study. But the way we process info is important at work also, and in other parts of our adult lives.
If you are able to tailor your work-style to your learning style, then you will be able to process information more efficiently, leading to greater productivity.
And it’s going to be easier to get into that flow state we all desire, when we are processing info via the method our brains like best. Like a lot of aspects of productivity, the easier and more convenient we can make it on ourselves, the more productive we can be. We want to remove the barriers.
So, what does this mean in practice?:
If you are a visual learner:
Print out documents/presentations and take them to meetings with you so you can follow along easily and write notes. (it’s wasteful, I know, but you can recycle.)
Do video chats instead of voice calls.
Work in a quiet space, with a door if possible.
Remove visual clutter from your environment (keep your digital and physical desktops clear).
Brainstorm on paper.
If you are an auditory learner:
Close your eyes when you are on the phone so you can listen to the words.
Repeat something you need to remember out loud.
Listen to music, or white noise, while you work.
Talk to yourself .
Brainstorm out loud, with others.
If you are a tactile/kinetic learner:
Pace, or go for a walk, while talking your calls.
Doodle or write notes while listening to others talk.
Use a fidget tool or spinner to stay focused while others are talking/presenting.
Take breaks to stretch or move frequently.
Ensure your environment is comfortable and ergonomically correct for your body.
Brainstorm while moving your body/doing an unrelated activity.