In your personal and professional lives, you’ll occasionally run into new technologies and tools that have the potential to make your life easier but can also be very hard to learn. Learning how to operate machines safely and effectively can be a challenge, so how do you make it easier for yourself?

1. The Value of Learning New Technologies and Tools

There are several reasons why you might be interested in learning new technologies and tools. For most people, the primary motivation is developing or improving a set of skills that will be valuable in their jobs or careers. For example, if you become aerial lift certified online, you’ll gain the knowledge and experience necessary to safely operate certain types of lifting machinery, like aerial lifts, scissor lifts, and cherry pickers. This can make you more valuable to employers, give you more responsibilities, and help you make more money.

You may also be obligated to learn new technologies for your job. For example, if your employer rolls out a new ERP software system, you’ll likely need to learn how to incorporate it into your job seamlessly, with or without direct internal training.

Of course, some people simply like the process of learning new things or feel pressure to continuously adapt to a society that’s rapidly advancing. If you’re like most older adults, even the latest iteration of smartphone technology can feel a bit intimidating when you first get your hands on it, and it’s fun to gradually gain mastery over it.

2. How to Learn New Technologies and Tools More Easily

These are some strategies that can help you learn new technologies and tools much more easily:

Analyze your current position.

Before you start the learning process formally, it’s a good idea to analyze your current position. How much do you know about the tool in question? How competent do you feel navigating other tools and technologies? Are there any similar tools or technologies that you’ve learned in the past? How prepared do you feel for the learning process? Take note of your strengths and weaknesses and devise a strategy unique to you to overcome your personal challenges.

Process your anxiety and apprehension.

Anxiety and apprehension are common when learning new things. Even if these feelings are relatively minor for you, it’s a good idea to proactively address them and try to process them. These are normal and nothing to be concerned about, so confront them proactively.

Allow yourself time.

You might be a slow learner, or you might be a fast learner. Either way, it’s a good idea to give yourself as much time as possible to learn something new. If you force yourself to learn in very small time intervals, or if you try to learn everything the night before you’re responsible for knowing it, you’ll add undue pressure and make the environment much more stressful for you. Err on the side of caution and schedule yourself more time than you think you’ll need.

Identify and learn any important prerequisites.

Figure out if there are any prerequisites that are necessary or helpful for learning this technology or tool. For example, if you’re studying for a CDL license, it’s probably helpful to know the basics of driving first. This is another reason why it’s important to give yourself more time than you think you need; it might take you some time to learn baseline skills as building blocks for more advanced ones.

Look for educational resources.

For any tool or technology you can conceive of, there is probably an abundance of educational resources available to you. Formal training and certification programs, private coaching, video tutorials, and even educational podcasts can all play a role in shaping your knowledge and development.

Most people benefit from consulting multiple different educational resource types, so they can get information from multiple sources in multiple different ways. At the very least, you should identify one strong educational resource that can help you from start to finish.

Understand your own learning style.

Do you know your own learning style? For example, some people prefer learning visually, while others prefer a more hands-on approach. If you know your personal learning style, you’ll be able to chart a course for your own learning that caters to your natural strengths and inclinations.

Get help from someone experienced.

If you start struggling, try to get help from someone more experienced than you. Depending on the context of your learning, that could be a coworker, a mentor, a teacher, or even just a friend. Chances are, they’ll be more than likely to help you out.

Test your knowledge and practice.

At a certain point, you’ll have to stop learning and start doing. Be willing to test your knowledge and practice with the tool or technology you’re trying to learn.

Share with others.

You can reinforce the lessons you’ve already learned and engage with the material more strongly if you share your knowledge with others. It’s also a valuable opportunity to get more practice.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a slow learner. It doesn’t matter if you’re hesitant or even skeptical about new technologies. If you apply these strategies consistently, and maintain a healthy, adaptive mindset, you should have no trouble learning the new technologies and tools that become relevant to you.