Open your mind to learning in The Beginner Zone

Do you want your path to stay vibrant and interesting, or are you OK with plodding along in a semi-stagnant state for the rest of your life?

Given your choice, of course you're going to pick vibrant and interesting. But to do that, you're going to need to venture regularly into a place many people find a bit uncomfortable - The Beginner Zone.

You know the place. It's the one where you're jumping into something new and you're not exactly sure how to do it. You don't have the solid ground of the known under your feet, and you're having to learn and create as you go. It can be a place of uncertainty, but it's also the place where we can find some of the greatest potential.

Right now I'm reading Kevin Eikenberry's book, Remarkable Leadership. In it, he talks about the beginner's mind, and its importance in having a learning mind-set. Here are some of the ways he describes that beginner's mind:

• Beginners are secure enough in themselves that they can say, "I don't know," to themselves and to others...
• Beginners don't connect their self-worth to their expertise. They are more likely to tie their internal worth to their ability to get the answer, to be adaptable, at to be resourceful in learning what is needed.
• Beginners are willing to ask for help, and they actively seek out experts as resources to help with the quest for continual learning.
• Beginners recognize other beginners and support them however they can.
• Beginners recognize there is always more to learn about learning. As such, they learn not only about things they want to know or be able to do, but they learn about learning and spend time and effort on improving as a learner.
• Beginners realize that all learning is a journey or process without a final destination. They recognize the value of learning something new every day and aren't discouraged by the fact that there is no real end. They recognize learning as valuable in and of itself.

These are some excellent points to keep in mind. The one that resonated especially deeply with me was the one about focusing on the ability to get an answer, rather than on the expertise itself. Definitely something to keep reminding myself as I go.

Something to ponder: How much time do you spend in The Beginner Zone? What helps you embrace The Beginner Zone enthusiastically? What gets in your way?

Check out The Occupational Adventure Guide

Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM