Learning How Achievers Keep Moving Forward

Watch the Video:

(Update: Please excuse the lack of clarity in my opening comments… learning, learning, learning!)

Transcript:

Hi I am Abe Stone, the life design coach at Coachingreallyworks.com

Today, I would like to talk about this topic, the topic of learning.

I posted a post sometime back about my youth or my childhood when I was a teenager and I was faced with a learning experience. I wanted to dance. I didn’t know how to dance.

Learn as you go, don’t wait until things are perfect

Anyway to make the long story short, I ended up jumping with both feet. Following the example of one of my friends and sure enough I had a great time. I had a really great time. I learned how to dance. I became known as someone who likes to dance .

And yeah, that really was a big change, a really big learning experience for me. Just learning to to let go and not be so worried about things.

But there is a twist. There is another side to this aspect.

Jumping in both feet, taking action, and just getting involved is a good start. It is actually a very good start. And if nothing else, you learn a lot just through the experience just by jumping in and letting go.

This can apply to a lot of areas of your lives: your professional life, career direction, or even just learning about communication, all kinds of things. (Read Awaken the Giant Within)

Anyway, I would like to go back to the story when I was younger. Back then that really worked. I was young, I was exploring I was just having fun.

Fast forward it now and I’m in my forties.

Messing up

I went dancing the other day and  I consider myself an OK dancer. I like to dance and people have enjoyed dancing with me. It’s been fun.

This I went dancing salsa at a local restaurant. I was in the restaurant and everything was set up. People were really tearing up the rug and having fun.

So, I wanted to joined in. I  was a little bit shy, a little bit nervous but I went ahead anyway. And some of the people who didn’t know how and I had a lot of fun. It was nice.

Then I saw these people that really knew what they were doing, so I got a partner. I got on the floor, and I realized really quick, I was not making this work, it was not working for me at all.

So I kind of stepped back a little bit and I tried again. I tried it with another partner, it was a little bit awkward.

Finally I ended up with this one partner, she was a really great dancer, she had just learned salsa herself and she was very patient, she took the time to just go slow and show me how to do the steps. I kept messing up and she’d show me again. Anyways, it was a bit of humble pie.

The Next Level – Learning

In the end, what I did was I went back to her and said “I really want to learn how to dance. I wonder if you can recommend a course or a club or something that I can go to and someone who can teach me.”

Then she gave me a telephone number, I followed one that and one thing led to another. Now I’m signed up and I’m learning salsa.

The interesting thing about these salsa lessons is that it is actually simpler than I thought it was.

I always resisted it because I thought it was too complicated, I could not figure out the footwork but having gone, now I’m learning. I’m figuring out the foot work and I’m coming along quite well. I’m surprised.

I am looking forward to the day when I can go out on the dance floor and not feel awkward because I do know how to dance.

Get started, then keep learning

Now the reason I am telling you this story is very simple.

So many times in life we thing we think have things figured out, we think are doing okay. In fact, we know we’re doing okay. But there are things that we could always be learning. We can always be growing and benefiting. We can make  our life better. We make the life of those we work with, or our loved ones better.

We can continue to grow and develop, if we take the time to just stop and learn. Any money, any time that you can invest in learning goes a really long way to help your future.

I would recommend that you get things like books and magazines. Sign up for courses, even if it is just a class here or a class there. Attend seminars and on a topic you are interested in.

And it doesn’t only have to be things like hobbies or things that you like to do.

More importantly it should be learning things in areas like your business, your career, or becoming better at certain aspects of the work that you do.

So, that is the tip for today, take time to continue learning. Continue investing in your growth. Set some money aside in your budget and take time to invest on a regular basis in your learning.

And here is our quote for today. This one kind of cuts to the heart a little bit.

It is from a man named Eric Hoffer.

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

So make it a point to continue learning in your life. Continue growing.

And here is the affirmation for this week:

“I thrive and succeed in learning and learning is my gateway to an abundant future.”

This is Abe Stone, the life design coach at CoachingReallyWorks.com