When was the last time you learned something new? I know, you keep up with developments in family law, civil procedure, evidence and alternative dispute resolution. But when was the last time you learned something completely different?

We spent most of the first part of our lives learning – elementary school, high school, college, law school and then total immersion in to learning to practice. Then we go into maintenance mode – we go to CLE, we read a business book from time to time. It gets routine. We slow our learning way down because we’re busy doing the work.

Learning is good for us. It keeps us healthy, creative, young. When was the last time you learned something really different?

When I had been practicing for about five years I decided to take flying lessons. It was fantastic. I had to develop a whole new way of dealing with the space around me and I had to learn some math. My synapses were firing like crazy. I felt fantastic.

A year or two later we decided to have a kid. That’s been an overwhelming learning experience.

About eight years ago I took up running and then triathlon. Lots of learning and stimulation there. Tons of gear to explore and buy, lots of education on training plans and nutrition.

Three or four year ago I tackled camping.

About two years ago I switched from a PC to a Mac. It wasn’t as tough as learning to land an airplane but it was stimulating.

Each of these experiences has been very positive and I’ve benefited.

These are the things that worked for me. What about you? What’s interesting to you? For it to really work for you, I think, it’s got to be radically different from your routine. Maybe it’s delving into presidential biographies. Maybe it’s sky diving. Maybe it’s scuba diving or exploring ethnic cuisine or art. I think it helps, for people like us, for there to be something measurable about the activity and, maybe, something competitive. Think about what works for you. What will it take to make the learning really engage and consume you?

Make yourself find the time to do something different. Broaden your horizons. Make yourself experience change. It will help you personally and it will help you build a successful practice.