The Student Mindset: Unlocking Continuous Improvement
Welcome to "On a Journey—Chasing Better." The essence of our blog and its name stems from an unwavering commitment to lifelong learning as the cornerstone of continuous improvement. If you are working on getting better, part of that process must be the student mindset. Today, I'm excited to address 3 areas of this journey and give some insights on how being a lifelong student has not only shaped my career but how it can transform yours too.
Learning is a mindset and the commitment to learn is a habit.
Jon Gordon says, "Even more important than what we do after our wins, is how we respond to our losses. Do we give up or come back stronger? Do we allow the loss to act like a cancer that eats away at us for the rest of our life, or do we turn it into a learning opportunity that leads to our healthy growth?"
Failures and coming up short are the times in life that it isn't about the event or the situation, what is important is how we react to it. Is our mindset and habitual response to learn from it? Learning at these times is one of the keys to chasing better.
Albert Einstein - “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
"Once you stop learning you start dying." is a quote from Albert Einstein. This is the 2nd mindset focal point I want to emphasize when it comes to learning. The 1st is that we must learn from our losses and 2nd is that learning never stops. It's not about age or what stage of life you are in. Take my word for it, learning is just as impactful at 64 years old as it was at 24.
With learning as our primary focus, here are 3 areas of this journey to chasing better:
A Lifelong Student of My Business
From the outset of my career, I've adopted a student mindset towards everything I do. What this means to me is that I look for every opportunity to learn.
Constant Update of Knowledge: I actively seek out new information about our industry, including trends, challenges, and innovations.
Current issues directly and indirectly related to the industry. This consists of the news, good and bad.
Product and Service Mastery: Every detail of what we offer is under constant review, ensuring a deep and current understanding.
Competitive Analysis: Understanding the landscape includes studying our competitors thoroughly.
Learning from the Best: I pinpoint high performers within and outside our company, learning from their successes and strategies.
This commitment to learning is so ingrained that I consider myself a proud student of "YouTube University," where the diversity of success stories fuels my curiosity and broadens my definition of success.
Studying the Best
Historically, my learning journey was punctuated by monthly newsletters like 'The Roundup' at my first insurance company, which provided invaluable insights into top performers' tactics. Unlike the past, where resources were scarce and delayed, today’s digital tools allow us to study these trailblazers in real-time. This one part of my commitment to learning has probably had the most impact.
John Maxwell says that, "Leadership is about influence, nothing more, nothing less."
The leadership that I received from many high performers through their influence on me because of their habits, routines, mindset and successful track records is not surpassed in impact.
Understanding the habits, mindsets, and strategies of industry leaders has transformed my approach and can significantly alter yours.
Remember, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with," as Jim Rohn famously said. This maxim extends beyond physical interactions to those we engage with intellectually through our studies.
Jim Rohn - “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Study to Achieve Expertise
In this day of vast amounts of information at the fingertips of every human being in the world, you must work hard to achieve expertise in your field.
Mastery requires more than just passive consumption; it demands active, focused study. Here’s how I ensure I am progressing towards expertise:
Daily Dedicated Study Time: Achieving expert status requires consistent study of the products and services, the industry, my company, the issues and obstacles that are confronted. Setting aside daily moments for focused learning drives depth in knowledge and skill. For this to be consistent, I have to block off time on my calendar, 10-15-30 minutes every day to study with the intent to become an expert.
Targeted Knowledge Acquisition: Knowledge is definetly a source of power. Targeted knowledge, with the intent to learn at a level that will gain expertise, will give you the competitive edge in every situation you are in.
Through these focused efforts, we harness the power of learning to not just better ourselves but to also set a standard in our professional fields. This blog is a testament to that journey, and I invite you to join me in this pursuit of lifelong learning and constant improvement.
Till next time, Expect to Win! | #xp2win
