February 18 , 2018 /

50 YEARS WORKING 10 LESSONS LEARNED

Imagine the following conversation:

You:   You worked 50 years and only learned 10 lessons?

Me:     Well, actually, I’m still working and I’m still learning.

You:   What do you mean, you’re still working?

Me:     What I said, I’m still working. I’m teaching, consulting, counseling, writing, speaking, doing whatever I want to do.

You:   Wait a minute, you’re saying you want to work? At your age?

Me:     What do you mean, at my age?

You:   Well, you know, you’re not as young as you used to be.

Me:     Are you serious or are you just trying to be funny?

You:   No, I mean why would you keep on working when you don’t have to?

Me:     Because I really like what I’m doing and I don’t consider my work like a job. And I have more to say about that along with a lot of other things.

You: OK, I’ll see what you have to say and I’ll get back to you.

Me:   Thanks, I hope you will because I value your feedback.

You: So these are the ten lessons?

Me:   Yes, and if you want to see more, I put a them in a little book

that was published in 2013 called Seven Decades: A Learning Memoir.

You: So there really are more than ten lessons?

Me: Oh yes, but I consider these ten among the most important and what have brought me to where I am, and probably taking me to what’s next.

You: Thanks, I’ll have a look at the book later. Right now, I want to see these 10 lessons.

Keep learning alive – Commit to becoming a life-long learner and whether or not you are an early adopter, consider how the world has changed and you along with it. If you are not growing and changing you are falling behind because to stand still is to lose ground. You can participate in learning challenges whether through webinars and courses offered online or actual, real time group learning by topic, subject and issue. Find the fuel for your passion and exercise mind, body and spirit to stay on the growing edge

Step out of your comfort zone – Whether in learning something new, understanding and appreciating the opposing point of view, or becoming more facile with technology, just do it. Try an area outside of your expertise, something totally different from how you spend the majority of your time. If you’re an engineer, consider something in the social sciences and if you’re in the world of business, have a look at art and science, unless that is your business. Venture outside the confines of your profession. 

Know yourself to the extent that it is about who you are not simply being identified by what you do.   Your passion is your work, your job allows you to do your best work. Ideally, who you are and what you are about will help to define what you do, not the other way around by what you do defining who you are. Being authentic means that to the degree there is congruence between your ideal and real self will determine your degree of satisfaction with your work

Practice this until it is ingrained in the fabric of every day. “Tell the truth, be kind and remember to say thank you.”   It is a simple, straightforward reminder and a litmus test to determine if you are on or off course with regard to your moral compass. How you treat other people will help determine how they will respond to you. You get what you give and sometimes you receive even more than you offer.  Courtesy is contagious.

Celebrate special days, special seasons and special people. It is easy to find them, hold them up for recognition and appreciation. What many people need in families, in the workplace, on the street, is to be recognized and appreciated for who they are and what they do every day. You can also make note of those special days and seasons in the calendar and use them as an occasion for a gathering and for sharing whether around a table or at an event. Or treat someone else to an occasion with a surprise, an unsolicited, unexpected gift, regardless of size

Set realistic goals and empower others to help achieve them. Success is achieved when people share a common vision, a common purpose and common goals. There is strength in numbers and Margaret Mead had it right when she said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world, for it is the only thing that ever has.”

Attend to matters of your spirit, your soul, your psyche and make frequent deposits in your savings account. If you haven’t needed to draw on those inner resources in a significant way, you will. Because change is inevitable, and because there will be occasions of unwelcome and uncomfortable change, it’s best to be prepared with the mental, emotional and spiritual resources to deal with the change.

Consider each new day as a gift, to make of it what you will. Neither you nor anyone else has walked in this new day and made any tracks. The question is what kind of tracks would you like to make today? How do you want to interact with others? What will you say and what will you do to make a difference in their work or their lives?

Design and plan the change you want. A clear and detailed action plan provides a strong foundation for moving forward. A plan can be adapted to changing needs and desires and very often the results are no better than the plan that helped achieve them. If you are not satisfied with an outcome, go back and look at where you might have gotten off track and recalibrate. Pay attention to active verbs such as create, collaborate and communicate.

Take care of yourself often so you are better able to care for others. Give yourself time to reflect on what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and recharge your energy, commitment and resolve. Rest, breathe and learn from nature by getting closer to those seasons of growth and renewal. One word that sums it up well, recreate!

 

Comments (2)

  1. So many of these resonate with me. Today, I’m focusing on celebrating people and moments that without much thought would just fade away. Small gestures can have impact far greater than we’d ever imagine. I could do better in a few of the areas you have here too. Good thing I’m always working to be just a tiny bit better than yesterday (and if I can be a lot better, that’s great too!) Your intro here made me smile and I’m grateful you’re still sharing your lessons.

    Alli

    1. It’s a terrific group who are “always working to be just a tiny bit better than yesterday” and a worthy, daily goal, among others. I work to keep learning, growing, changing and I am eager to see what I can learn today, from my students, from the experience of being back in the classroom and connecting with other learners. Any day I can make you smile has the beginnings of a good day. Take care and keep spreading those “small gestures” as they make “big differences” in the lives of many.

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