by Betsy Mikel

It’s no surprise many of the most successful people share the constant learner gene. They carve out significant time for absorbing new information and deliberate learning. Some dedicate an hour every single day.

But if an hour a day of deep learning doesn’t seem possible for you, there’s still hope. You can still be a constant learner. You can even do it on the job. The trick is to switch your mindset and approach challenges and projects from a different angle.

In a First Round Capital blog post, GSV Acceleration founder Anne Dwane explains how her constant learning mindset was crucial when she became the CEO of college scholarship matching service Zinch. The company was later acquired by Chegg, a testament to how well Dwane was able to push the business forward–despite having no previous experience in the education industry.

Here are Dwane’s top tips for becoming a constant learner, which you can apply to virtually any situation or environment to keep your brain sharp.

Get into game mode

Gamers are focused on the task at hand, but they’re not discouraged by the possibility of failure. Every time you start a new game, you have hope that this is the time you will finally dominate and win–even if you just lost the exact same game 30 seconds ago. Your past experience may help you anticipate which challenges you will face, or this may be a completely new game to you. Either way, you’re excited about the potential of what’s ahead.

This feeling of empowerment fuels your drive and comfort for risk throughout the game; and these qualities are equally beneficial for success in work and life. Dwane says constant learners approach challenges like games. Don’t give up before you’ve started. Get excited about the challenge. See it like a puzzle to be solved. There’s problem-solving potential in every new experience.

continue reading… Inc.