When was the last time you discovered or learned something new?
John Maxwell shares his process for working on his daily growth in several of his books and public presentations. It amazes me because I believe he already has so much more knowledge than I can ever imagine. He shares that he reads, thinks, writes, asks questions, and files information every day. I wonder what we could discover about ourselves if we committed to doing the same each day? I know I could do more with my blog if I planned to sit and think and question more. I am always engaged with my personal growth. I wouldn’t say I have a consistent practice or procedure that I use daily. This is where I need to grow in this moment. So, I have been putting some thoughts into a specific plan. This week, I hope this topic can help others gain some focus to their growth plan or a path to self-discovery.
What are you reading? Not everyone reads on a regular basis or even learns best through reading. There is an enormous amount of information in books. We can discover so much about ourselves when we pay attention to the items we choose to read. When we choose to pick up a book that has the information we need, we have a resource that we can pull from at any time. The best thing about books, is we can always go back to them to replenish our understanding, assuming we keep the books we read. Libraries aren’t a thing anymore in most homes. People don’t save their books for future reference, instead they share them with others or drop them off at a local thrift store. Of course, this is a generalization, not everyone ditches their books. The point here is, books have value that can compound over time, especially when there is a need to refer to the books often. Bolster your home libraries!
Things are not always done intentionally, which hinders growth and discovery. We take for granted those moments we can Think, Write, and ask questions. We do these without even thinking about them and we fail to put them on our daily schedules. Imagine if we allowed ourselves to just think about our problems, write down potential solutions, and ask deeper questions for more clarity. Our lives are so busy these days, that we fail to give time to truly reflecting on life. This process of reflecting can happen as we think, write, and ask questions!
John Maxwell has a filing system that he uses to gather material. How are we collecting information we learn and how can we share with others? It is helpful when we want to recall information when we know where to find it again. Ever recall something you wish to share with others but can’t remember what it was? Happens a lot! Ever get an email of some motivational point that you wish to recall but never printed it out or accidentally deleted it? Happens a lot! A common practice with books could be the use of sticky tabs to mark pages of pertinent information. Great emails come into our in-boxes often, which could be printed off and filed. We need to find the system that works best for us and gather the information we could use later.
We could add listening, as another method of learning that stands alone. The popularity of Podcasts or Vlogs are something rather new and growing in popularity. These sources for learning give us the opportunity to just sit, listen, and be fully present. Of course, this is assuming these resources fit within your style of learning. There are a variety of Podcasts and Vlogs that provide learning for just about any topic. Whatever you wish to learn, you’re guaranteed to find some type of Podcast or Vlog to teach you.
What books can help you address your growth or self-discovery?
When was the last time you sat in silence and thought about your life?
How could journaling help you discover the gifts life has to offer?
How are you collecting what you learned or discovered recently?
When we are intentional about gathering information to keep and grow from, we are truly discovering new and improved selves. I whole-heartedly believe that we can never stop discovering and learning. We must have a plan to find ways to develop a growth plan. I am no expert on the subject, but I am a student of the process of discovery. I hope you find some new discoveries or learning opportunities this week. Please leave a comment below that will contribute to this conversation. Have a great week!
Steven C. Bucks- Leading Conversations
~Maxwell Leadership Certified Team Member~
