What if we continued to learn like a baby?

I know what you’re thinking, “Lesley you’ve officially gone mad!?What can I possibly learn from a baby?" But bare with me for a moment.?When we really observe babies’ development there is very little that stops them.?We were all babies once and we literally took on our greatest developmental leaps during these early years whilst our brains weren't even fully developed. How incredibly amazing is that?

Yet, by the time we’re finishing school, grafting for our promotions, and mortgaged up to the eyeballs many of us seem to have forgotten or suppressed the very skills that got us through our most formative years.

I sit and watch my daughter with amazement and awe every single day. ?Okay, I confess I also watch her at 3am most mornings willing for her to sleep through the night so don’t worry; my rose-tinted glasses haven’t burnt brain cells out just yet.?But she’s going through the same journey each one of us took before her.?She’s quite literally finding her feet in this gigantic world in her own way and in her own time.?

She’s unaware that she can google how to do most things if she wanted.?She doesn’t realise that there are books categorising each milestone she’s smashing into a grading system of ahead or behind.?She’s not comparing herself to all the other babies around her. She has no concept or what “normal” looks like, only the determination to get from A to B. If that involves looking like a breakdancer from the 90’s doing the worm to get across the room, then that’s okay.

So what if we did want to take note from a baby???Below are a few principles we may wish to rekindle in our own continued growth.

1.????Adopt the “consume an elephant one bite at a time” approach.?Babies have a fantastic way of building their skills one milestone at a time, they don’t sit there moping about because they can’t walk about whilst others can.?They set to work on what they can do and build it from there; one roll, one bum shuffle, one first step at a time.

2.????Keep on trying.?How many people have you met that don’t walk because they tried it once as a baby, fell over and decided it’s not for them??Me neither, so why as adults do we limit ourselves by trying to get it right first time and not having another go??Get back out there and have another go.

3.????Do it your own way.?Although societal expectations would have you believe there is only one route to success the truth is there isn’t.?Some babies crawl, some babies go straight to walking, some babies shuffle their bums, some babies just don’t want to move at all.?Find what works for you, trust in your own abilities and use the resources you have around you.

4.????When you need help shout!?My daughter has no problems in letting me know when she needs a helping hand to achieve what she’s trying to do.?Don’t sit there in silence or give up.?If you need help ask, people love helping others, whether its offering advice, sharing resources or generating ideas.?You may find yourself learning more than you intended.

5.????Find your cheerleaders and celebrate your success however small.?I’m my daughter’s biggest cheerleader and I’m there to raise the roof every time she smashes her next goal.?Seeing and feeling the joy she experiences in this is priceless.?Let’s stop playing small and downplaying the hard work that gets you to where you are and where you want to be.?You deserve to take moments of appreciation and be proud of your achievements.?

I hope these reminders help inspire and encourage you in your continued learning.

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists” – Eric Hoffer