Seth Godin has attributed his success to the fact that he has failed more than anyone he knows. If you don’t know Seth Godin, he has been writing daily on his blog since 2002 and is one of the leading thinkers of our time.
When I heard him share this idea in a podcast I listened to, it made me think of something that wasn’t immediately obvious to me.
I need to articulate what I am learning or I’m not learning.
Trying something new stretches our capability. Trying something new requires a learning curve. I need to remember to articulate what it is I am trying to learn and why. Without the what and the why, the work of learning will become arduous, and failure will feel crushing rather than necessary steppingstones for growth.
The goal is not failure, the goal is learning. If I don’t articulate what I’m learning, then the “lessons” will be lost forever and I’m doomed to repeat them.
Let’s not let the fear of failure get in the way of our growth! We don’t have to fail more than anyone we know like Seth, but we can articulate what we are learning so those learnings can be carried with us and integrated into the next thing we may learn.
My mini project right now is posting on LinkedIn, 100 posts in 100 days. Some of the posts are good, some of them are not. This blog post is a reminder to slow down and articulate what I am learning from this project.
How are you learning on purpose?
Take time today to reflect on a recent experience you’ve had (good or bad) and write down at least one thing you’ve learned from it. I’d love to hear it if you’re willing to share!
