Learn from Your Experiences

Effective learning must be conscious vs. unconscious, active vs. reactive. It must be something we seek, not just "let it happen". If learning ability is not conscious, it can't be improved. It just becomes another habit without effective application to the circumstances in our business (and personal) lives. We already spend too much of our day "doing things."

How do we become good learners, and subsequently, good change masters? The answer is surprisingly simple. Become an active, conscious learner on a daily basis by creating a diary or log of your most important daily experiences. In today's fast-paced world, we have the opportunity to learn something every day that has the potential to impact our lives. Here's what to record:

First,state the experience. "I touched a hot stove".
Second, review what happened. "By touching the stove, I burned by hand."
Third, draw a conclusion. "If I touch hot stoves, my hands will be burned."
Finally, plan your next step. "I won't ever again touch a hot stove."
The example is simple, but effective learning goes through these four steps. In fact, it may happen in the blink of an eye. You touched the stove and thought, "I won't do that again". You went through all four processes without thinking.

Learning in today's fast-paced and ever-changing environment can't be left to chance. We must make a conscious effort to capture our experiences and learn from them or be doomed to repeat our mistakes. Worse yet, we may habitually keep doing those things that are working for us, while our competition is actively seeking new ideas, innovation and growth.

Today, learn from your experiences.

About the author:

Gary Lockwood is an experienced business coach, facilitator and speaker. He specializes in helping business professionals achieve breakthroughs in their business."





Gary@BizSuccess.com
http://www.bizsuccess.com/