"Ancora imparo - I am still learning." Michelangelo is believed to have said this at age 87. More than 400 years later, these words inspire people to keep learning at any age. Studies show that older adults who pursue learning are happier and less prone to depression, and they score higher on tests of cognitive ability.

To learn something new, consider four keys to success: immerse yourself in the topic, seek expert guidance, practice, and take your time.

I decided that this was the year I would tackle a few projects on my "wish I could learn" list. Specifically, I wanted to improve my Spanish so I could better communicate with patients. I wanted to master the complexities of the online course software system at my university. And I wanted to grow tomatoes this summer.

Some of these projects turned out better than others. Let me tell you about my journey.

Strategies

What contributed to my success (or lack of it)? First, all of my goals were long term; I didn't worry about achieving mastery quickly. I set my sights on some degree of achievement over the entire year. I'm still making progress and still making mistakes - some have been legendary!

Second, I took time to read and study and ask others for help. This included everything from books about Spanish to courses at the university technology center to consults with the lady at the gardening center.

Efforts

So how did I do? Spanish came back to me more easily than I thought it would. I bought a book and committed to reading a chapter every 2 weeks. Fortunately, there are lots of Spanish-speaking

people at the hospital, so I had ample opportunity to practice.

This is still a work in progress, and I still mix up words. I have been reasonably successful except for a few major faux pas, like when I mistakenly asked a patient if I could please listen to his chest x-ray. That didn't exactly inspire confidence!

When developing mastery of something new, you have to learn from your mistakes - and be willing to look a little foolish at times. My capabilities as an online course instructor have really improved. Although the road was bumpy, I now can manipulate the system well.

As for my tomatoes, well, the weather in the Northeast this summer was just not conducive to growing much of anything. Right now I'm the proud owner of a single $50 tomato!

Despite my most sincere efforts, I must acknowledge that sometimes outside forces (weather) affect the success of a learning project, and not all efforts produce success.

Lessons Learned

All in all, the learning experiences have been rewarding. I found that patients appreciated it when I tried to speak to them in their own language - even when I was pitiful. I am now the "go-to" person in my department about online courses. And we had lots of laughs about my gardening misadventures.

Remember, mastery does not happen overnight. Importantly, I've learned that successful people tend to generalize about good things and consider their mistakes isolated incidents ("I do well at math, so I'll do well at anything"). Less accomplished people do the opposite ("I'm bad at tennis, so I'll be bad at all sports"). I now look at my errors as blips in the learning curve rather than personal flaws. I think to myself, "Wasn't I adventurous to take these things on?"

Go out there, take on a new learning project, and enjoy the journey. There is always next summer for my new tomato crop!

Laurel Halloran is a family nurse practitioner with a PhD. She is a professor at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury and practices in the pulmonary department at Danbury Hospital. She is a member of the ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners editorial advisory board.