Debra Kasowski

EPISODE 28: COMMIT TO LIFELONG LEARNING

by Leave a Comment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

EPISODE 28: COMMIT TO LIFELONG LEARNING

For those who know me, you know that I am a constant state of learning. I’m looking up information, listening to podcasts, and I always have a book on the go. I consider myself a student for life and I want to encourage you to do the same. The world is in a constant rapid state of change and if you don’t learn and improve your skills you can become outdated very quickly.

No matter your profession whether you are an employee of an organization or business owner growing your business, you need to connect to a lifelong learning. I have gone to many conferences where you see people sign up for all the courses and webinars that are available. I wonder are they going to implement all of those things or are they caught up in the involvement of being part of those things.

54281617_sThere is a big difference between being involved in something or committing to something. You may have heard the story about bacon and eggs. The pig was committed and the chicken was involved. Those who are committed and are putting in the work are the ones who will see a return on their investment. They don’t get caught up in comparing themselves with others and other distractions to their focused on their end game and they know that these distractions will just get in their way. Being committed means that you’re invested and you are giving 100% in whatever you do.

TMW_PDFTo stop learning, is to truly get old. One of my endgames is to live 103 years old and I want to be as sharp as a tack. I know in order to do so, one of the most important things I need to be doing is to be open to learning and being interested in the world. Someone once said that if you want your life to be interesting you need to be interesting. So in order to do so, you need to try new things and learn new ways of doing things. When you start doing different things and get involved in conversations, people will find you interesting. They will be curious about what you know and want to learn more about what you have to share.

Ask for feedback. The world gives you continuous feedback. We must start shifting our thinking from failing and making mistakes is bad things and instead view them as learning opportunities. How would you know if something would not work unless you made an attempt? Recently I made my first Facebook live video and needless to say I do have room for improvement. My video went sideways literally and when I went to publish it but you didn’t realize you could delete it was turned sideways. Did it stop me from publishing the content? No, the message was important and timely and it actually calls people’s attention to it wondering what I had done. Did I learn from it? Absolutely. I’m so proud that I followed the prompting of going ahead and doing it. It was great to see the interaction and the kindness of people teaching me how to use it properly.

When you look to people you know and trust, you can learn new ways of doing things as well as seeking to improve. By asking for feedback, you are opening the door of opportunity to elevate yourself to a new level. When you hear the feedback, you have a choice whether to accept or reject it or at least entertainment. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from what was shared with me?” Get feedback from someone who’s been in your situation before. This can save you a lot of time and money is you may learn mistakes that they have previously made which you can avoid.

Find a mentor. A mentor is someone who is been in the space that you are working to achieve. They can share a variety of experiences and mistakes in which you can learn and grow from. You do not have to be on this journey all alone.

40690911 - happy couple of travelers sharing music on holidays during a travel in a train station

Get educated. So many people think that education is a formal process in the classroom. Life is education. Yes there are formal courses in which you need to grow and learn in different areas but not all education has to be within the doors of the classroom. With the Internet, there should be no excuses in committing to lifelong learning. There are so many websites with free resources in which you can fill in the gaps and hone your skills. There are programs like Coursera, Udemy, and TedTalks to guide and teach you new things from positive psychology to social media marketing. There are podcasts, YouTube videos, and articles available at your fingertips. What is most important is that you integrate what you learned how you show up in the world and what you do.

Thanks to the Internet, the excuses of needing money to get educated or purchase books or getting to classes no longer stand. You can take books out from the library for free. There is a way to get to what you want if you just into your resources. You don’t need to know everything or claim to. The most successful people know where the resources are and utilize them. They reach out to experts. They are open to new ideas and perspectives. People look for better ways to streamline what they currently do.

Get hands-on. Many people learn by doing. When you take the initiative to follow through and try new things, you create new experiences. You are actually taking action and learning as you go. You can adjust when you need to and carry-on.

Make a plan each day to learn. Take notes from articles and books that you read and decide what it is that you’re going to implement into how you show up in the world. You have everything you need to succeed truly at your fingertips and it was in the world that you live in right now it all depends on how you plan to use.

Thanks for joining us on The Millionaire Woman Show today. I would love to hear how you have committed to lifelong learning e-mail me at Debra@DebraKasowski.com we would love to hear from you. Subscribe to The Millionaire Woman Show. Give us a 5-star rating! Sign up for our Newsletter www.debrakasowski.com

DEBRA KASOWSKI, BScN CEC is an award-winning best-selling author, transformational speaker, blogger, and Certified Executive Coach. She has a heart of a teacher and is certified in Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence. Her writing has been published in a variety of print and online magazines. Debra Kasowski International helps executives, entrepreneurs, and organizations boost their productivity, performance, and profits. It all starts with people and passion. Sign up the Success Secrets Newsletter and get your free mp3 download today! www.debrakasowski.com

Time: 10.36 min

Keywords:  learning, education, life is education, constant learning, commit to lifelong learning, self-improvement, pursuit of learning, practice, constant improvement, commitment, involvement, lifelong learning in nursing, lifelong learning quotes, lifelong learning plan, library, new skill, teaching, instruction, knowledge, academic skills, self-development, creative thinking, learning experience, learning opportunity, communication skills, online learning, learning strategies

 

 

Are You Being Interested or Are You Being Interesting?

by Leave a Comment

How many times have you been in a conversation and have felt that the person you are speaking with really didn’t listen to a thing you said? They were either staring through you, distracted by the surroundings, or already blurting out something about themselves in relation to your story. It can get a bit frustrating. I personally find that it is harder and harder to connect with people who are fully present. They are are often checking their cellphones or computers for emails or text messages or even surfing the net. 19591120_m

How refreshing would it be for someone to listen to what  you have to say without saying anything until you are done? Would you have finally received the air time you have been waiting for? I am in the midst of listening to and reading Mark Goulston’s book entitled, Just Listen as he shares some information about how to get through to anyone. One of the areas he discussed is to not only act interested but be interested in a conversation. Goulston stated that there are 3 keys that will help you demonstrate that you are more interested in the people you are talking to or in conversation with:

Actively listen…

  1. “Stop thinking of the conversation as a tennis match.” (Goultston, 2010, pg.59) When someone is speaking, don’t worry about formulating the next question. Be a detective and learn more. Stop, actively listen expectantly to what is being said. Maintain eye contact. If you are truly listening, you will intuitively have a question come to mind to ask.

Intuitively you will know…

Recently I met a gentleman whose primary language was not English and when he is conversation he stated he is constantly trying to translate the language in his head and prepare the next question. He stated that his family members often commented that he is not truly listening. He is a very smart and well respected man. I asked him to come from a place of curiosity and understanding when speaking to his family members or even his co-workers. With relief, he said he would give it a try as he said it would relieve a lot of pressure if he was not focusing on the translation and the formulation of the next question at the same time.

Ask more questions…

2.  “Ask questions that demonstrate that you want to learn more.” (Goulston, 2010, pg. 60) Lean in and use your body language and eyes to demonstrate your interest in the topic. You will find that people will start to feel more comfortable sharing stories about themselves when you take a genuine interest in who they are.

Mark Goulston provided the “FTD” framework:

F -“I feel x…”

T – ” I think y…”

D – “I did or would do z…”

This framework allows a person to open up and share what is meaningful to them.

Take a genuine interest…

3. Do the right thing – shut up and listen!

Ask another question about what you heard. Ask the person who it sharing the story to tell you more. Summarize what you have heard.

Live an interesting life…

Talking about yourself and sharing how great you are and not asking about another person about themselves can make others feel intimidated and that they cannot relate to you. It is important to take a genuine interest in others. The best advice I can give you about bing interesting is to lead an interesting life so when others take a genuine interest in you – you can share how you feel, what you think, and what you do or would do. People can learn things that they did not know about you. You may also learn how more alike you are to another person versus focusing on the differences you may have.

The art of listening is a communication technique that can transform relationships and business. No matter what processes and systems are in place, people are human and need to feel that they are heard, understood, and made a contribution. I highly recommend this book for your library.

Goulston, Mark. (2010). Just Listen: Discover the Secret to Getting Through to Just About Anyone. AMACOM. New York, NY.

Are You Hearing Yourself?

by Leave a Comment

Communication is very exciting especially when you get to do the talking. It can be even more exciting when you are a captive listener. A few weeks ago a group of friends were out for lunch and we were talking about different plans we had for our businesses and vacations. During a conversation, one of my friends kept saying, “If this happens, I will…” Do you hear the pause – the hesitation – the doubt? I asked him if he had just heard what he was saying. “Yes, if this happens, I will…” Listen a little closer – what do you hear? IF!!! How about WHEN?

Our conversations are so natural and routine sometimes I think many people do not hear themselves speak and the words they are use. Now, instead of “if”, can you hear the difference when I say, “When this happens, I will…”? There is hope, optimism, and a number of ideas that were ignited from changing a single word or phrase. There may be many other words or phrases that may trigger the sense of doubt and hopelessness.

Some of them are:

I can’t ———————>  I can

Maybe——————–> Definitely or Absolutely

Someday —————-> Near future or Very soon

I am just —————–> I am

They make me think of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. He waltz around in gloom looking at the downside of life when everyone around him is enjoying ample amounts of sticky honey or bouncing around on his tail.

What words or phrases come to your mind? Take some time to be a great listener and you will see how the words people use make a difference. Listen how you talk to yourself when you get ready for the day or you are driving your car. Do you see the power of your words? When you change your words, your energy changes and so do your emotions and feelings. Choose words that are more affirmative and optimistic. Instead of wishing and hoping things will turn out well – anticipate that they will turn out great!!!