10. Significance of learn-unlearn-relearn methodology to stay ahead.

Alvin Toffler rightly said that the illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.

Let's understand the literal meaning of the terms from the dictionary - learn, unlearn, and relearn. 

Learn: To gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught.

Unlearn: To discard (something learned, especially false or outdated information) from one's memory.

Relearn: To learn (something) again.

The world we are living in is fast and dynamic, where change remains the only constant. So, to change, what is important is the attitude to learn. The size of the human brain is 400 cubic centimeters (varies between 350 to 450). In that capacity, the maximum possible information one can cram is defined by the Bousso bound. Surprisingly, it ends up calculating roughly 10^70 bits of information. I am leaving it for you to decide whether is too much or too little or just fair enough. 

In a way, rather than piling up information, we must be prepared to do away with (unlearn) old methods and adopt (relearn) new ones to boost our career growth. Lao Tzu explained it well through his quote - to attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day. 

A recent survey conducted by Futurum Research involving 1000 plus executives were asked about the impact of digital technology on their businesses. The response will move us a bit: two-thirds of the participants felt optimistic about their ability to keep up with technological change, and about half of the participants felt that technology has made them more competitive. Do you know what was wrong with half of the participants? The answer is quite simple. They were not ready to change, in simple terms, not able to adopt 'learn-unlearn-relearn' methodology.  

In the mentioned tri-methodology, the role of unlearning is very vital in today's workplace. So, let's discuss a few tips for unlearning (came across while reading the article entitled 'unlearning is the new learning' by Susan Dumas): 

#1 Willingness is the key to progress. So, foster a sense of willingness.

#2 Doing away with self-limiting beliefs and pursuing the unfamiliar. 

#3 Human psychology has a lot to do with learning. So, relocating (to bring up new surroundings) or moving away from the location helps.  

#4 Surrounded by like-minded people hampers unlearning. So, learn from your opposite i.e. professionals from different backgrounds. 

#5 We learned a lot in our early days. It was simply because of our curious mind. So, fostering curiosity is important. 

#6 Setting of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) goals is of utmost importance. It helps to provide motivation and self-reliance.

#7 Working on it solo is really difficult. So, continuous support of colleagues plays a vital role in achieving it. 

To conclude, we must understand and embrace continuous learning. It will not only help us in moving forward but also bring in a spectrum of personal cum professional change. 

Please comment below to let me know your thoughts.