Learning and Growth mindset - A belief and way of life !

Facts :

• Your learnings and education is one asset you have, which nobody can take away from you.
• The more you share your learnings and knowledge with others, the more you will see it growing exponentially.
• Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.

A Growth mindset and Effortful learning are the two learning strategies, which help an individual in learning and development, to maximize his/her potential.

Learning, knowledge, education, reading, studying, teaching or whatever else synonyms exists, this has been something very close to my heart, my thoughts, my ambition and my aspiration. This was and is, something, I am so much involved with, back from my school days, when studying late hours or going to extra tuitions in very early morning hours before day break, was something, which I always use to look forward for.

Few of the learning ingredients which matched with my appetite, and I realized in my early career days are -

Curiosity : Curiosity plays a fundamental role for learning and memory. Curiosity has been hailed as the major impetus behind cognitive development, education, and scientific discovery. It is the drive that brings learners to knowledge. Curiosity is about being aware and open, checking things out, experimenting, and interacting within one's surroundings. In a classroom grounded in curiosity, teachers and professors have the unique opportunity of being able to mine students' deepest held wonder, making their attention natural and effortless, and allowing them to fully engage.

Aspiration : When we do want to learn something, we focus on the positives like what we will gain from learning it and envision a happy future in which we’re reaping those rewards. That propels us into action. Researchers have found that shifting your focus from challenges to benefits is a good way to increase your aspiration to do initially unappealing things.

Self Awareness : Self-awareness means having the ability to understand your thoughts, emotions, and values, as well as knowing how those factors influence your behaviour. It is the capacity to open-mindedly and realistically assess your strengths and weaknesses while maintaining your confidence, drive, and desire to grow. To be self-aware, you must be able to identify your emotions, see yourself honestly, recognize your strengths and weaknesses and work towards growth.

Kicking off my career, back in 2001, somehow this learning process always continued whereby I had to pursue education/college at frequent intervals (on an average every 2-3 years) along with my sailing periods on ships, to clear competency exams and for having the license for serving on ships in next level of officer rank. From 2005 to 2011, having done maritime college for almost 2 years collectively (Marine nautical technology including Graduation in nautical studies) and having appeared for more than 3 dozens different exams types and assessments , that was the journey which always kept me on my toes and helped me in climbing up the ladder.

During these initial years of effortful learning a foundation of knowledge and applications was built, which till today and in future will act as a strong base for myself.

For the most effective learning, retrieval must be repeated again and again, in spaced-out sessions so that the recall, rather than becoming a mindless recitation, requires some cognitive effort. Deeper learning comes from effort and struggling. Reflection leads to stronger learning by retrieving knowledge from memory, connecting the knowledge to new experiences, visualizing and mentally rehearsing what you might do differently next time.

Moving ahead, having cleared my Master Mariner exams and after obtaining the license of "Master of a foreign going ship"(unlimited) by Government of India, I got the opportunity for which almost every mariner wait (navigation side) for commanding a VLCC (Very large Crude Carrier) in 2014. That time though it was not very clear to me, whether I will pursue my learning journey ahead or not, as, for serving on ships that was the last studies/exam/license which was required, since there is no rank above Captain on board ship, but it was not a 'NO' also, as learning was something I always used to look forward for.

(Still wondering what is a VLCC and how it looks like ? Below is the short 7 mins video)

Mindsets are beliefs—beliefs about yourself and your most basic qualities. Think about your intelligence, your talents, your personality. Are these qualities simply fixed traits, carved in stone and that's it? Or are they things you can cultivate throughout your life?

People with a fixed mindset believe that their traits are just given. They have a certain amount of brain and talent and nothing can change that. If they have a lot, they're all set, but if they don't...! So people in this mindset worry about their traits and how adequate they are. They have something to prove to themselves and others.

On the other end, people with a growth mindset, see their qualities as things that can be developed through their dedication and effort. Sure, they're happy if they're brainy or talented, but that's just the starting point. They understand that no one has ever accomplished great things, without years of passionate practice and learning.

The turning point came in my life in 2017, when I enrolled for the MBA course with SP Jain School of Global Management, and from there started the whole new chapter of growth and transformation with new experiences. These studies and business program was NOT a maritime oriented course, and helped me in connecting with the wider industries and other sectors. I still remember my peers telling me regarding my curious nature almost like a school boy, to learn more and seek new information and engagement. Having completed that in 2019, I graduated from the college with couple of awards and recognitions, which further boosted my moral, to even achieve more in future and this time with the intent of giving back to the community and industry.

Since then until Feb'2021, I relentlessly strived for learning new things, growth and adapting to the most dynamic environment, mainly challenging myself, time and again to keep a check on my risk appetite.

Very recently in Mar'2021, I with the support of my family, decided to embark upon another transformational journey, seeing the challenging times we all are going through, and how important it is for each one of us to serve our community and be a change maker. Through this Stanford LEAD program offered by Stanford School of Graduate business, I foresee finding my in-depth purpose of what I am doing and why I am doing ? On the mission of changing lives, changing organizations and changing world, this journey indeed will help me to create and capture more value, by contributing to the wider society and industry, where I have served for two decades !

A learning mindset is not cultivated effortlessly. It arises from a series of concrete steps and widely distributed activities, not unlike the workings of business processes such as logistics, billing, order fulfilment, and product development. Learning processes involve the generation, collection, interpretation, and dissemination of information. For maximum impact, knowledge must be shared in a systematic and clearly defined ways. Sharing should take place among individuals and groups for exponential benefits and desired results. 

With all these past years of effortful learning, what I realized is, that learning is not simply about correcting mistakes and solving problems. It is also about crafting novel approaches. It is very important that each learner should push himself/herself to take risks and explore the untested and unknown.

References :

Stanford LEAD Program : Supportive Learning Environment & Learning to learn again

HBR Article : Managing Yourself - Learning to learn

HBR Article : Is Yours a learning Organization ?