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Five Powerful Words
"Change is inevitable. Progress is optional."
Tony Robbins
There are literally thousands of thoughts and ideas that could be summed up in five or fewer words to define success in life. From a spiritual standpoint success could be quickly defined as "love one another." In addition there have been many great leaders who have tried to sum up success like Andrew Carnegie, who said, "There is little success where there is little laughter." Or, Pablo Picasso's, "Action is the foundational key to all success."
While these phrases are true and may lead to success what Amanda Gore said that day was profound, "In order to succeed, one must be able to learn, unlearn and learn again."
Think about this phrase for a moment. Learn, unlearn and learn again. It doesn't say, learn, learn and learn. The magic word inside the phrase is "unlearn". If you begin to digest these words, you will see them coming to life all around you. Here are just a few examples I have lived in the last week alone:
Learn: To use a portable CD player to play music for my audiences. Unlearn: Using a portable CD player. Learn again: How to use a flip speaker system with my cell phone to play music.
Learn: How to create Christmas photo cards. Unlearn: Going into store to use a kiosk to create photo cards. Learn again: Using home computer to create card, upload photo and send to print shop.
Learn: How to use Skype. Unlearn: Skype. Learn Again: Google Hangout for my mastermind group of four women.
Learn: Dance is a great way to work out. Unlearn: With my foot injury I can no longer jump and dance. Learn again: Swimming can be a great way to get a workout while enduring a foot injury.
What I am really talking about is the willingness to change and let go of old practices and habits. None of the above examples came easy to me. I wanted keep my old learning as long as I could because unlearning and learning again takes time and can be painful.
Question for You:
Are you holding onto old practices for fear of having to unlearn and learn again? Do these old practices still serve you well? Do you feel anxious about leaving your old ways?
Action for You:
The best way to eat an elephant (new habit) is one small bite at a time. Try to unlearn one habit a week or month that is holding you back. Keep this phrase "learn, unlearn and learn again" in your head until you become comfortable with it and it becomes your mantra. Enlist a friend to help you unlearn something they have already mastered. Become a champion of this phrase and you will find yourself riding the waves of change instead of having them crash down on top of you.
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