Ah, the thrills and spills of learning something new in the wild world of business! It's a jungle overflowing with opportunities (aka scary, hairy challenges) to learn new business-boosting skills.
Keeping up with new knowledge and equipping yourself with new skills can feel a lot like befriending a none-too-tame animal. You want to play nice, and you kinda sense that it does too. But you’re wondering where to begin. You’re wary about if or when this wild but wonderful critter might rear up and bite you on the bum or worse.
Six ways to make learning wonderful new stuff a bit less wild (and a lot less woolly.)
Wrangling the wild beasties in the jungle of business learning can feel overwhelming. If the mere thought of making a foray into learning how to make a kickass marketing plan or smarten up your socials makes you curl up in a ball under your desk, dear reader, this blog is for you.
Map it, chunk it, go for it
Plan your business learning trip, then activate your inner GPS. Without it, you risk winding up dazed and confused in the outer reaches of Woop Woop.
Set specific objectives and prioritise like a boss. Example: Write great Insta posts
Break your goals into bite-sized chunks. Example: Sign up for a workshop
Make the most of every morsel.
Example: Compile a list of killer hashtags
Once you’ve done the digestible chunking thing. Give each bit, everything you’ve got.
Stroke, stroke, stroke
Learning something new can feel like preparing for an open water swim. It seemed like a great idea when you signed up - exciting, different, game-changing, even. Now you’re wondering whether you can go the distance, navigate rips and currents, and arrive unscathed on the far shore.
So the trick is, just grab your goggles, cap, and positive mindset and dive into your training. Tackle the course one leg at a time. That way, you won't need to grow an extra set of arms, and before you know it, you'll have the physical stamina and mental fortitude you need to rise to the challenge.
Call for backup
You don’t have to be a solo circus act. When you get wobbly, don't hesitate to call for help. Seek out the sages in your industry and join communities of fellow adventurers.
Find a mentor to pilot you through the steamy, scary sections of the learning jungle (hint, hint, I love mentoring, and the learning jungle is my second home.
Surround yourself with a support network and make the journey less like a gruelling wilderness survival gig and more like a group camping trip with marshmallows and great stories around the campfire.
Embrace Your Inner Indiana Jones
Don your most intrepid explorer’s hat, pick up your whip and channel your inner Indie. Treat every boulder that rolls your way and every snake pit you stumble into as part of the adventure. Embrace them as opportunities for learning and growth. Fall flat on your face with your first set of social posts? Do what Indie would do? Dust yourself off, grin, make a wisecrack or three then do the next batch differently.
Schedule self-Care: The superpower you can't ignore
Deeply immersed in the discomfort and the buzz of learning something new? Remember to look after yourself. When it comes to conquering overwhelm, self-care is a secret superpower.
Schedule frequent breaks, practice deep breathing often, and celebrate milestones of all sizes. Escape into your favourite hobbies. In short, nourish your mind and body. Even legendary superheroes need a little downtime to recharge their batteries, change their red undies and wash their capes.
Harness the power of play
Fun fact: Humans learn best when they’re at play. Don’t let your learning be a stuffy, stifling affair. Look for fun programs that embrace gamified learning. Be relentlessly curious, and chances are your creativity will kick in. Find flow and joy in the learning process.
Celebrate small victories, and don't beat yourself up if you run into a roadblock. Business learning is all about trial and error. To paraphrase that famous Japanese proverb, ‘fall down seven times, get up eight, grin like a bit of an idiot and go on.’
Last words
Learning new things is a process, and it's natural to feel frazzled at first. So, breathe deep, know that ‘you’ve got this’, and remind yourself you're not alone.
Put on your adventurer's hat, give those scary beasts a wink and a smile and be on your way. Chunk and chomp, and you’re unlikely to choke. Make the most of every morsel of new knowledge. Play with it, mess with it, and make it work for you and your business.
Now go forth, fearless business superhero, stuff these six strategies in your backpack and strategies sign up for the thrills and the spills that make business learning an adventure.
Disclaimer: No wild beasties were harmed in the making of this blog post.