60 Before 60 Project: #20 - Take an Online Course - Just For Fun
I’m not sure how you’re feeling these days but I just can’t wait for spring. Where I live, we are still surrounded by snow and ice. It is starting to warm up but it’s just not enough yet to melt the snow.
So rather than complain about the weather, I was looking for something to do to take my mind off this and I remembered the article we recently published written by Lori Becker. Lori had written about the benefits of creating a curiosity list. Unlike a bucket list, a curiosity list was to be comprised of things that we were curious about and might like to learn more but not necessarily commit to yet. One of the suggestions that she made was to take an online course.
I thought this was a great idea.
Over the years I’ve taken many, many online courses but they have all been work related. I never actually took a course just for fun. Sure, I’ve jumped on YouTube for snippets of information or quick searches on things I needed to know. But never actually sat through an entire online course that wasn’t to improve my skills or knowledge for work.
Now the question was, what interested me. Or as Lori asked, what was I curious about?
I’ve had an iPhone for over 15 years and do use the camera. I’ve probably used it more these past few months for my 60 Before 60 Project than ever before. But I’ve always just pulled it out and pushed the button and possibly edited the size of the image and that was pretty much it. I really knew nothing about the features.
I figured it was time I learned more about what my iPhone camera could really do.
There are lots of online courses available - and many of them free. Just google online courses free and you will be presented with so many options. For example, EdX - offers courses from Universities, The Open University carries online courses in many different areas and of course YouTube pretty much houses anything that may interest you.
I found a course on Udemy (for free) called iPhone Camera Tips, Tricks and Settings. It was an hour-long course that took me through all the different features, settings and options on my iPhone camera. The instructor shared how to use many of the tools available, such as setting your lighting, your focus and how the edit and modify the picture afterwards. I learned about all the different filming options available – panoramic, burst, slow mo and time lapse and in what setting it was best to use them.
I had no idea of how sophisticated my iPhone camera was. Hopefully you will see the benefit of my new learning in future 60 Before 60 posts.
Beyond just being curious, continuing to learn new things as we age is important. It can have a positive impact on our cognitive abilities. As shared by the National Institute on Aging;
“Being intellectually engaged may benefit the brain. People who engage in personally meaningful activities, such as volunteering or hobbies, say they feel happier and healthier. Learning new skills may improve your thinking ability, too. For example, one study found that older adults who learned quilting or digital photography had more memory improvement than those who only socialized or did less cognitively demanding activities.”
They also shared that this is still an area being researched to confirm the actual implications but, in the meantime, there is definitely no harm in learning something new.
So what are you curious about?
My 60 Before 60 Lesson: Staying curious and continuing to learn keeps us both interested and interesting.
Here’s a couple of pics from a recent visit I did to a farmer’s market on the weekend. I think I can see the improvement already!
Interested in seeing all my 60 Before 60 experiences? Click here.
