My eight-dimensional “wheel” had Intellect broken into two segments — one for organization and one for learning. I’ve already covered “organization”, so time to turn my attention to the “learning” component.

I’m a little bit shocked in looking at my “learning” category. If you had asked me in abstract the size of the category, I would have estimated it quite large. I’m a big believer in lifelong learning, and even at work, I push my staff to have fairly detailed learning plans as part of my HR management function. But a lot of my past learning is a subset of other categories — such as film literacy for the movie component of social. Means to other ends. So the “pure” learning component seems somewhat quiet in comparison. In past years, my highlights would have been:

• Attendance at HR conferences (partly for “work” and partly for my ongoing interest in HR processes);
• Computer techniques and approaches (such as for various CMS platforms, WordPress in particular) as a means to finishing my website;
• Use of a telescope with Stephan as well as going to Museum of S&T to look through their telescopes;
• Film literacy courses to improve my movie reviews; and,
• The grand-daddy of all learning activities, the completion of my MA in Public Policy.

But what do I have on my agenda for the future? Not much, honestly. At least not in a pure “learning” lens. I want to take some further online courses and personal interest courses, maybe even explore some detailed podcast options, but they are likely to be more related to learning to be a better writer and thus captured more under creativity than captured here.  I do need to decide if I want to pursue another grad degree, such as a MA in Legal Studies, but it would likely be part-time and not anytime soon.

Interestingly, though, I have four additions to my bucket list for learning, partly as they don’t fit anywhere else:

• Use own telescope (and look through giant)
• Learn photography
• Learn to drive a standard transmission
• Learn sign language

But what do I focus on in 2011? I have decided to list only two items to move forward on this year:

• Personal courses, particularly online or podcasts; and,
• Learning sign language.

On to the other categories!