LEARNABILITY Feb 25

Whether it's health, wealth or happiness, some of my months are more challenging than others. But I won't bother you with any of that. Instead, let's get on with those Learnability nuggets.

?? Reducing your energy drainers

The 24-hour Ownership Challenge

If you're anything like me, there are lot's of things in your life that drain you - these can range from mild irritations - such as a cluttered desk - to things that drive you mental like a strained relationship. Often, we find ourselves accepting them as part of the stars quo, which can lead to a range of effects from feeling a bit down to trashing your office and setting fire to the building.

This is not a good thing.

But instead of accepting these energy drainers, what if you spent one day doing the 24-hour Ownership Challenge. In other words, look at each thing as if you were responsible for fixing it - or at least improving it in some way.

Spend the day keeping an eye out for those things that 'bug' you. Write them all down if it helps. It can be a very sobering process. Consider areas such as:

? Personal Relationships: Misunderstandings with friends or family.

? Physical Environment: An untidy desk or disorganised living space.

? Workplace Dynamics: Challenges with colleagues or an overwhelming workload.

? Personal Habits: Procrastination or unhealthy routines.

Then, for each item on your list, determine one specific action within your control that can help improve the situation. Examples include:

? Difficult Relationship: Initiate an open conversation to address misunderstandings.

? Untidy Desk: Set aside 15 minutes to organise and declutter your workspace.

? Challenging Work Environment: Propose a meeting with your supervisor to discuss workload management.

? Personal Habits: Replace 30 minutes of screen time with 30 minutes of parkour in the living-room.

Then carry out your list. Commit to implementing at least one of these actions today. Taking even a small step can lead to significant improvements and empower you to regain control over your circumstances.

By focussing on actionable solutions rather than the problems themselves, you shift from a passive to an active role in learning to accelerate your personal development. This approach not only alleviates immediate frustrations but also generates a proactive mindset for future challenges. And afterwards, you often end up asking yourself "Why didn't I do this earlier?"

So stop tolerating energy-drainers and learn to take more ownership of them. What action will you take today to convert your challenges into opportunities for growth?

?? An NLP trick

A Quest is Best

Here's something I'd like to share from one of my accelerator groups this month.

One new member explained that instead of setting herself 'goals' she set herself 'quests'. She said she found it changed her attitude to getting out of her comfort zone, which made her projects more 'heroic'.

I think that's lovely.

Goals often focus on specific outcomes, which can lead to pressure and frustration if not achieved. In contrast, a quest feels more like journey, encouraging you to embrace challenges and learning opportunities along the way.

At least. I think it does.

And by focussing on the process, you find value in each step, making the experience more fulfilling and less daunting.

Framing your personal development as a quest can enhance motivation. Quests inherently involve exploration and discovery, making the journey exciting and engaging. This approach aligns with the understanding that personal growth is an ongoing process, reducing the pressure of immediate success and allowing for continuous learning and development.

You could even refer to your obstacles as goblins or dragons depending on their size!

So why not try referring to your next goal as a 'quest' and see for yourself what magical difference it can make?

?? Mental Health

Yoga and the Brain

Did you know that Yoga is more than just a physical 'stretchy' thing?

If you're keen to improve your mind as well as your body, you might be interested to know regular Yoga has also been shown to enhance brain function, reduce stress, and improve mental resilience, too.

Research suggests that yoga can enhance grey matter volume and alter neural networks associated with cognition, emotional regulation, and stress resilience. The practice, which combines movement, breathing, and meditation, has been linked to reduced inflammation, lower cortisol levels, and improved mood. Experts believe these effects may help mitigate age-related cognitive decline and even slow the progression of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Beyond its neurological benefits, yoga is proving to be a valuable tool in mental health management. Practicing yoga has been associated with increased levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that helps regulate stress and anxiety. This supports findings that yoga can alleviate symptoms of depression and improve emotional resilience. Trauma-informed yoga therapy, in particular, is gaining traction as a complementary intervention for PTSD sufferers.

However, experts caution that not all yoga styles are suitable for individuals with trauma, emphasizing the need for specialized training among instructors to ensure safe and effective practice. Some researchers also note that while yoga’s mindfulness and breathing aspects are well-documented, more studies are needed to differentiate the benefits of movement versus meditation.

Despite its growing evidence base, yoga remains somewhat inaccessible to many due to cost and societal perceptions. Advocates are pushing for its integration into public healthcare systems, arguing that it offers a low-cost, holistic approach to wellness. Leaders in the field, such as Heather Mason and Rachel Bilski , are working to expand awareness of yoga therapy as a healthcare profession, underscoring its potential to provide long-term mental and physical benefits. While more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind yoga’s effects, its ability to enhance self-regulation, reduce stress, and improve overall well-being makes it a compelling tool for both personal and professional resilience in today’s high-pressure corporate world.

So if you're feeling a bit down, stressed or just want to take better care of you little grey cells, why not join or start your own yoga group? Just search for "Yoga groups near me", and off you go!

For a deeper analysis here's the full BBC article here

https://bbc.com/future/article/20250124-how-yoga-can-rewire-your-brain-and-improve-your-mental-health

What I'm Doing This Month

• Writing a book is like giving birth - at least that's how someone who knows about both experiences described it to me. This month I think I've started labour-pains, one of the final steps has been to settle on a tag-line. So the title is now... LEARNABILITY: How to Future-proof your Career in a Changing World.
• I'm delighted to have been asked back to host the 2025 CIEES Network (Centros de Innovación, Emprendimiento y Economía Solidaria y Sostenible), where colleges get together to show off the innovative sustainability projects they've been working on.
• New base: After 26 years of renting office space in Barcelona, my company has just put down a deposit to buy one. It's very exciting. If it doesn't bankrupt us, it will allow us to do much more, including hosting our own events on site, running training days and even a summer school.
• Next month I'll be giving my new talk 'The 10 Commandments of Learning' for the first time. With a generous portion of audience participation, we take a fun look at what makes a good learner.
• I'm now 'grooming' our new script, Lara's Labyrinth, which is what I call the process of smoothing out dialogue and filling in any disjointed bits where things don't flow.
• Learning Clubs and Sprints. I'll be adding another group to my list of accelerators with the PSAS Sprint starting beginning of March.

If you're interested in accelerated professional development or if you would like me to talk about the importance of Learnability at your next event, please get in touch now. I'd love to learn more about the challenges you're facing and how I can help.