We all need some UnLearning and UnSchooling.

There is so much for all of us to learn.

Especially when it comes to our careers.

Many of us are already overwhelmed. We are burnt out. We struggle with finding the motivation to grow.

So today I was cleaning out my closet. Going through all the old clothes, items, and things that I don't really use anymore. Making a big donation pile. And maybe in this open space.... I'll get myself a nice new comfy outfit that makes me smile.

And as you might have guessed...

my mind asked itself....

"What old stuff can I clean out of my mind? I keep piling in all of this new learning stuff.... but maybe its getting crowded up in here."

So i start thinking about it.

What type of stuff is occupying that valuable space between my ears?

Can I graciously let go of some of it to make room for bigger and better ideas?

I started to write a list.

1. Limiting beliefs. Every time I tell myself that I'm not capable or not good enough yet... I can kick those thoughts to the curb.
2. Bad Habits. I've kicked some bad habits, but i still have a few more to work through. Some of these bad habits definitely occupy my precious brain power on a daily basis.
3. Old Ways of doing things. I started to think about random tasks that I do that probably takes me 5x longer than most people because I'm too stubborn to learn the new and improved way.
4. Other peoples agendas. As I look back through my life, I would spend alot of time and brainpower to try to be good at something so I could be relevant in a social group. Only to never use that knowledge again once I wasn't part of that social group anymore. Maybe it made sense at the time, but I don't need to know what the energy of every single type of rock holds anymore lol.
5. Biases. Someday soon I think I'm going to write a long article on biases. There are all sorts of biases we all learn over the years, consciously and unconsciously. I'd be happy to let all of my biases go.

These are just some examples. I could probably keep adding to this list too.

For now... lets look deeper at what unlearning means.

The best definition i found is: Unlearning is the process of consciously letting go of outdated knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, or habits that no longer serve us.

It isn't about erasing this stuff.

It is just recognizing that these things are holding us back from learning and growing.

Especially in the workplace.

We have old ways of doing things. Sometimes we are very rigid and stuck in our old ways. We have bad habits. We get pulled into other peoples agendas. Our skill sets get stale.

So here's the hard part.

We have to assess ourselves honestly. We need to be gracious and humble about it. When we can admit to ourselves that there are some things we can unlearn, the doors of opportunity and growth will open wide up.

And once we create that space, I'm a big advocate of curiosity and exploration.

How can we expand our perspectives?

How can we break free from all the old ways?

This is where unschooling comes in.

Unschooling is an educational philosophy and approach that emphasizes learner-directed, experience-based learning rather than following a structured curriculum or traditional teaching methods.

Now, once we explore and find the growth and learning that excites us... we can build more structure to it.

I feel that most people skip this creative curiosity part though.

We think we just need to follow the same path that everyone else follows. So we don't get excited about it. We lose motivation.

The good news is that we are starting to see a bit of a shift in the market today when it comes to learning.

The old systems are losing their popularity.

New systems like AI, simulations, gamification, cohorts, team-learning, and more are increasing in popularity.... at least with the people that are open to Unlearning the old way.

With all that being said, lets jump into some action.

ACTION TIME:

1. Take a look at my list above of things I can unlearn. What limiting beliefs, biases, old ways of doing things, bad habits, or other agendas can you unlearn?
2. What is one way you could start getting curious of around new knowledge, beliefs and/or behaviors?
3. How can you inspire this curiosity with you colleagues at work?

I truly appreciate your moments today! We as leaders need to inspire growth and learning in the workplace now more than ever. And unfortunately, that may mean we need to let go of some old knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors ourselves. We can handle it with grace though.... because the "new outfits" we can create for ourselves will bring us even more joy and fulfillment. Thank you again for subscribing, I promise to continue to provide fresh, actionable content week after week on this fantastic topic of growth and learning!

Your Friend,

Dan