With the arrival of each New Year, we all have an opportunity to experience, learn, and go on new ventures. While most of us groan at the thought of having to learn something new, it is even more difficult for persons with a disability.
After my accident, I had to take up new hobbies due to the limitations I had preventing me from enjoying my old hobbies (gaming, billiards, and playing guitar.) Instead of grieving my losses and focusing on my old life, I chose to learn new hobbies and activities that would benefit my physical health.
• Mountain biking/cycling
• Regular exercise routines
• Healthy lifestyle habits
Businessman Jack Welch once said, “Change before you have to.” Most writers like to write within certain niches and resist change. We like our comfort zones and we hate it when our creativity is hindered.
However, with the new year comes new opportunities for writers also. Winston Churchill once noted, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” In life, we each need to learn how to embrace the new.
New
Let’s face it the pandemic forces us to accept “new normals” and a lot of us feel like a fish out of water in one aspect of life or another. Many of us still long for the old ways of life, the glory days of the writing community.
But, we can choose to live in the past or adapt and press on in our careers and lives. I wasted years trying to play the guitar again, grieving the loss of my gaming skills, and trying to force my left hand to type. When I finally let go of things, I was able to move on and make progress in other activities. Below are a few benefits for the mind and body, of learning new skills from Piedmont health.
- It gives you motivation– A new hobby or skill can give you the motivation you need to get out of bed in the morning.
- It helps beat boredom- Doing the same thing every day can get boring and sap your zest for life.
- It boosts confidence- If you engage in a new skill, you’re going to thicken the brain’s prefrontal cortex,” says Buttimer. “As you develop a new skill, you’ll gain courage and confidence, which helps you override fear and anxiety. You’ll feel more empowered.”
- It keeps you healthy– “Learning is great for your brain at every age,” he says. “As you take on a new skill, the mind begins to reshape itself because the physical brain is malleable.
- It helps you be flexible- By consistently educating yourself and trying new things, you’ll learn you’re capable of change and growth, which keeps you open to new opportunities in life.
- It can benefit others- Think about how your new hobby or skill can help others at work, at home, or in your community.
- It can boost your happiness– “When you learn a new skill, you increase your level of happiness,” he says. “It was thought for a long time that a person’s baseline happiness couldn’t be lifted. [1]
While change may be difficult, it can be beneficial and good for writers. Learning and writing new things help writers grow and expand their skill sets.
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”
John Rockefeller
Change doesn’t happen overnight and neither does greatness.
Growth Takes Time
The first time I got on a bicycle after my accident, I fell off of it after moving 2 feet forward. A month later I was biking 21 miles in 100-degree temperatures. Now 26 years later I am biking even further. What if I gave up and quit after falling off that first time?
Trust me I wanted to quit because I was embarrassed and discouraged. But I didn’t and over two decades later I am still reaping the benefits, while learning new things is difficult, challenges can either make or break us.
Learning prepares us for bigger and better things; it strengthens our mentality and physical bodies. Over the last two years, I have gotten into YouTubing and had to learn video and audio editing. Since I began focusing on my YouTube channel it has grown 400% and my creative tanks are overflowing with ideas.
Learning new things gives us new opportunities. Below are a few possible careers for writers to explore if they’re willing to explore new opportunities.
- Technical writing
- Editor
- Magazine writer
- News reporter
- Social media manager
- Blogging
Keep in mind, learning new things helps keep us inspired. Stephen King once said, “When you are consumed by thoughts write. When you are uninspired, read.” By reading we are learning new things and that gives us new opportunities!
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
