“If I am through learning, I am through.”
~John Wooden

I have decided that I am a lifelong learner.

First, I love to learn and to grow. Second, there’s always more to learn. Third, I keep making mistakes and trying (and learning) again. So I have to agree with John Wooden – if I’m through learning, I am through.

I’ve learned that that’s the essence of learning – it never stops and it’s never over. I once heard, “you can’t get it wrong and you can’t get it done.” There’s always more to learn, and because you’re learning as you go, it’s never wrong, it’s just another chance to regroup and try again.

The adult learning cycle goes from Unconscious Incompetence – where we don’t even know what we don’t know, to Conscious Incompetence – where we’re painfully aware of what we don’t know, to Conscious Competence – where we’re trying very hard to get it right, to Unconscious Competence – where getting it right comes naturally to us. And it can be awkward and uncomfortable along the way.

But unless we’re going through this cycle – unless we’re trying new things and acquiring new information and attempting new skills – we’re not learning and we’re not growing.

And if we’re not learning and we’re not growing, we really are through.

How do you keep learning?
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