To some degree, we all have a deep desire to continue to learn and develop new skills. Whether you’re looking to brush up on new technology or completely pivot your career direction, continuing education is essential to your career growth and intellectual value.
Skills are the new currency, so they say.
As innovation advances, so does our need to understand, learn, and adapt to new theories, trends, and skills – which can be intimidating and frustrating. Being a beginner isn’t easy. In the face of change, many of us become dismissive and argumentative and demand to stay with the status quo.
“We have been doing things this way for a very long time and have seen tremendous results, why change now?” skeptics often ask.
Resisting change and refusing to learn new skills doesn’t get you very far. Exceptional leaders understand they need to learn new skills by undergoing Excel training in Denver or any other program that would help them advance in their careers. They also know that they must constantly challenge old practices and look for new ways to spark innovation and progress.
Yet, shifting your mindset to be vulnerable enough to admit that you don’t know everything and there are areas within your personal or professional life that you could benefit from learning more about isn’t easy.
The 4 Secrets of Self-Motivated Learning
Erika Andersen wrote a fantastic article for Harvard Business Review titled “Learning to Learn,” which offers mental tools and advice to help you master new skills. The article discusses “a willingness to experiment and become a novice again and again [is] an extremely discomforting notion for most of us.” But the people who succeed the most at learning have four major attributes, which are:
- Aspiration – Focusing on the positive benefits of learning a new skill.
- Self-awareness – Changing your inner narrative from “I don’t need to learn this!” to “What would my future look like if I did?”
- Curiosity – The importance of asking curious questions about a new subject or theory.
- Vulnerability—Accepting that you are, in fact, new to the concept you are learning and that you might not become an expert the first day, week, or year after the lesson; becoming an expert takes time.
As an individual, it’s easy to see how you can apply these concepts and leverage this inspiration in your life, but what does this mean to L&D pros trying to guide learners through their development plans?
People want to learn, grow, and succeed, but those aspirations require change, which is not easy to swallow. Self-doubt and stubbornness can hinder an individual’s ability to learn and retain information, which trainers, coaches, and leaders must remember. As you develop individual learning and succession plans in your organization, think about what you can do to cultivate aspiration, drive positive self-awareness, stimulate curiosity, and shake off vulnerability. Those learners might overcome the learning curve and become successful, driven leaders.