2019 — Personal Learning Report
This year I am kicking off a new tradition by compiling my Personal Learning Report. This is a collection of learning data, insights, and recommendations I discovered through 2019.
Here are the topics I include:
- Articles
- Books
- Flashcards
- Apps / Tools
- Writing
- 2019 Most Memorable Learning Experience
- 2020 Learning Forecast
Articles
Pocket is my go-to application for reading online. I rarely read articles while browsing or checking social media. Instead, I save articles to read later. Pocket removes the ads and has a decent text-to-audio player that makes it easier to consume info on the go.
2019 Article Recommendations:
2019 Books-worth of articles read
I anticipate this graph will level-off or decline in 2020. Internet articles are great, but more and more I prefer the deeper understanding books provide.
Books
I completed 21 books in 2019. Topics included Education, History, Culture, Psychology…and Star Wars.
Audiobooks have become my preferred format for book content. I typically listen on my commute, during chores, and while exercising.
It isn’t that I dislike physical or digital books, I simply have a lot more competing for my attention during moments I could be reading those.
2019 Book Recommendation — Indistractable (Nir Eyal)
This book and Nir Eyal’s many blog posts leading up to it legitimately changed the way I live my life.
Not only does it contain strategies for limiting distraction, but it helps you identify and address the internal triggers that ultimately fuel our need for distraction.
Flashcards
A little over a year ago, I realized I was retaining very little of what I read in all those books and online articles. Enter Anki. Anki is an open-source flashcard application that facilitates spaced repetition.
I create new cards whenever I want to commit something new to memory. This includes highlights from books, articles, workshops, conversations, and other learning experiences.
This year I created 726 new cards and spent a total of 21 hours reviewing (avg. 3.8 minutes/day).
I reviewed my cards 350 of 365 days this year. This is evidence of how habitual this practice becomes once you get started. I never once set a reminder or scheduled a specific time to review my cards.
Learning Apps / Tools
As a learning experience designer, I have a special interest in trying out new learning tools. Here are some of the apps that stood out this year.
2019 Learning App Recommendations
- AnkiDroid— Nothing about the aesthetics of this application will wow you, but as described above, it is central to how I learn. I use both the desktop and mobile versions. The app is free on Google Play but $25 on the iOS App Store.
- Libby — This is the gateway to my local libraries’ audiobooks (your library likely uses this app too!). Many of the books I care to read are available through this system and come with the added benefit of a completion deadline.
- Merlin — This app is a real-world Pokedex for birds. Input the size, color, and behavior of a given bird and it will output a list of potential matches. I identified 49 new birds this year, bringing me to a total of 116.
2019 Podcast Recommendations
Podcasts are a form of learning I don’t track well, but here are a few standouts from the past year.
- Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History — In-depth narratives of major historical events.
- Future U — Interviews with prominent people in HigherEd.
- Designed Today — Dillon Winspear presents a mix of topics and guests that are especially relevant for product teams and UX designers.
Writing
Putting thoughts into words forces me to think deeper about an issue and consider other points of view. I have written entire blog posts only to convince myself I had the wrong opinion. For that reason, writing is an excellent tool for learning. This year, I wrote (or co-wrote) 6 blog posts or articles:
Peer-Reviewed
Blog Posts
2019 — Most Memorable Learning Experience
Utah Geotour
My wife and I love Geocaching. At some point this year, we made the crazy decision to complete the Utah Geotour before it ended. That meant visiting nearly every county in the state to see historic sites, state parks, natural wonders, and…golf courses. I loved learning about local history and especially Native American cultures. It was exhausting and we pushed our minivan to its limits, but it was a learning experience we will always treasure.
Honorable Mentions
- Web accessibility
- Alternative commuting
- Mentoring co-workers
- Come, Follow Me curriculum
- Buying a home
- Potty training toddlers
- Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2020 Personal Learning Forecast
Here are some of the themes I see coming in 2020.
Product Management — I’ve found a passion for strategy. This year, I hope to take a deep dive into refining my product management skills. My favorite part of the design process is defining a vision and validating that vision through user research. This year, I am seeking opportunities to expand my business skillset and ensure my design decisions for users contribute to a sustainable business model.
Daily Habits — The goals I’ve set for myself this year are centered around developing keystone habits, that is, “small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.”
For example, “making your bed every morning is correlated with better productivity, a greater sense of well-being, and stronger skills at sticking with a budget” (Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit).
Constellations — There are 88 constellations in our night sky. Over half of these are viewable from the northern hemisphere. This year I hope to learn as many as possible.
2019 was a great year to learn.
2020 will be even better. At the end of the day (or year), the least meaningful data is easiest to report. What I can’t describe succinctly in a blog post are the countless people, projects, and other experiences that have truly helped me grow.
What is your plan for learning this year? I’d love to hear about it! Send a message or connect with me on LinkedIn. Let’s chat about it or meet-up sometime to see what we can learn.
