There is more than one kind of learning. There is personal, professional, people, behaviour, situations, how things work.
Learning opportunities are available to us in every moment of our waking life. Every time we pay attention to those moments, realise or discover something new, we improve ourselves as persons or professionals.
Unfortunately, many go through their daily routines and rarely pay attention to those learning opportunities.
I often ask colleagues and friends, ‘What did you learn today?’.
Most of the time, I am met with a blank stare. They do not understand the question, or why am I asking such a thing.
The best way to explain the value of daily learning is to get people to experience those moments themselves.
So what is required? What is my routine?
If my learning hasn’t happened through a planned exercise (a webinar or similar), I would take time to reflect. I would try to consolidate or improve my understanding of something that has happened on the day.
I would find a quiet moment and stop paying attention to the ‘outside’ and bring the focus back to me. Usually, I do not have to consider what I am going to think about. It comes on its own.
I ask questions. Why did something happen? What did I do? Could it be done differently? Why did I react as I did, or why somebody reacted as they did?
The outcome is an ‘aha’ moment. A spark and a new neuron connection is created.
I thoroughly recommend this practice at least once a day.
Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.
– Pema Chödrön