Development Rule #5 - Learner for Life

“If you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done”

How do we grow if we never learn anything new? The rule for becoming a leaner for life is to develop an insatiable appetite for knowledge and experience. It’s never too early and never too late to learn new things, as I wrote about previously. High achievers read a lot, they mentor and receive mentor ship, and they try new things. They are not afraid to fail, accept they may be wrong, and never believe they ‘made it’. Whatever your career or professional aspirations may be, make every day about learning. 

Growing up I didn’t like to read and I found school to be a means to end, so I didn’t value learning as I do today. When I begun working professionally I realized that career growth comes from professional growth which comes from growth of knowledge through insights and experiences. I started to read more, take notes, clip articles, seek mentors, and most importantly stretch myself with taking on new and different projects and job roles. From a degree in Accounting to technical support to business operations to order to cash to transformation and program management I’ve been on a winding road full of opportunities to learn. My willingness to step out of my comfort zone and try new things has often lead to incredibly exciting new opportunities. Thank you dad for demonstrating the value of this even if it took me 30 years to realize it!

I will simplify this rule into 3 parts;

Try new things - When it comes to your career be the first to raise your hand when a volunteer is needed or take on an extra project. Give that stretch assignment a go and try something you don’t know how to do so you can learn it.

“I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it" Pablo Picasso

Get help! - Don’t go at it alone as there are plenty of people who want to help you. Seek out mentors, coaches, and sponsors and glean from them everything you can. If it appears to be working for someone else give it a try yourself and see if it's the right fit. Lean into others and draw out their expertise and insight so you can learn. I wrote about why even professional athletes need a coach previously.

“The nearest thing to having experience one’s own, is to have other people’s affairs brought before us in a shape that is interesting” Benjamin Vaughan in a letter to Benjamin Franklin

Listen / see / do - Understand the theory, study how others have done it, and most important go try it out yourself. Spend lots of time in reflection as you try to learn something new and you will grow.

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Confucius

Remember that experiential growth leads to career growth. Let's end with a great clip from Eddie the Eagle;

Thanks for reading

Alan