A Lesson in Learning

I love this thought about change from Seth Godin!  As you read it think about something you are trying to change.  What obstacles are you facing to achieve the changes you want?  Are there fears or misguided ideas holding you back?

“Can you change? Are you stuck with your habits, your knowledge, your weight, your fitness, your interpersonal skills? Is your future a slightly different rerun of your past? …Change is hard, sometimes nearly impossible. But if even one person as far behind as we are has dug in and done enough work to finish that marathon, to change that habit or to learn that skill, it means that it's not impossible. Merely (astonishingly) difficult. Knowing that it's possible is 86% of the project.” –Seth Godin

I think this may be the most important lesson about learning I’ve ever come across.  Knowing we can learn and believing that we can change are the first and most important steps in achieving success.  Learning at its core is changing.  We are changing our own ways of thinking as we come across new and different perspectives.  Our brains physically change as we practice and perfect skills.  We literally become someone different when we learn something new.

Are you struggling in a class right now?  Are you finding it hard to stay motivated?  Does it feel like a waste of time and energy?  Honestly evaluate your beliefs about yourself and the class.  What are you telling yourself about your potential to learn?  Chemistry was so hard for me because even though I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, I was telling myself that I wasn’t smart enough and didn’t deserve a good grade.  I worry this is a common problem.  Those types of beliefs create a huge speed bump on your road to success.  So change them.

Wherever you are on your path of learning or whatever change you are trying to make in your life, simply remembering that it is actually possible to change is a good place to start.  Whether it’s a better score on the next exam or a complete life transformation you are working to accomplish, you can do it!  It is possible.  Now that you know it is, you should already be 86% of the way done.  Keep up the good work!

Here’s the link to Seth Godin’s blog post I quoted above: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/10/plasticity.html