What did you learn?
The big event’s over, the project’s complete, the crisis has subsided—now what?
My “teacher mentality” trained me to move on to whatever’s next. Get ready for the next class, the next lesson, the next unit. It just keeps coming, and there’s little time to reflect.
It’s a huge lost opportunity. It’s as if we’re drowning in the chaos of input and the demands of “What’s next?” New stuff—data, information, technology—gets the attention, and we’re tempted to miss the chance to look back, analyze what happened, and learn from the experience. I think we sometimes confuse “what’s new?” with “what’s best?”
I get it. I need to keep moving, living in the present while looking forward to “What’s next?” Past is past, can’t change it, no point in dwelling on it.
Maybe not.
Maybe wisdom comes from reflection, stopping occasionally to ponder steps taken and seek patterns. It’s not about dwelling on the past as much as taking advantage of it. Sometimes “right now” doesn’t make much sense, but if I examine where I’ve been and project that forward I discover something useful.
So since I just achieved one of my three big goals of 2010 by doing the Bouncing Back workshop at a retreat, this seems like a good time to list a few answers to “What did you learn?”
The only way to find out whether it works it to put it all out there. Planning and talking about it only take you so far. At some point you just have to lay it on the line and see what happens.
It’s a huge risk, because the truth is that it might not work. You may fail or get laughed out of the building. But the only alternative is to hide in the shadows and wonder “what if …?”
Others want you to succeed. When people buy your product or pay to hear your ideas or even visit your Facebook page, they WANT to see value, quality, and success. They hope for encouragement and smiles.
There will always be a few trolls who look for something to complain about. Sadly, they enjoy wallowing in the mud, and you’ll never please them anyway.
Accept encouragement. Remember that “encourage” means giving courage. Since people want you to do well, they will lift you up and encourage you to keep going. Don’t dismiss their support with some sort of false humility. There’s nothing wrong with allowing others to impart a shot of confidence.
Allow others to serve. A young man approached me Friday evening and asked if he could set up computer, projector, and other technology stuff. He saw the video camera and volunteered to take care of that process. During the entire weekend I never had to even think about technology.
On Sunday, this guy packed everything away and stacked it all neatly by the door. Then he walked up to me, shook my hand, and said, “Thank you for letting me help.”
Seems backwards—shouldn’t I have been thanking him? It’s a great reminder that allowing others to serve is a gift, that perhaps “doing it all myself” might be selfish.
Ignore critics, and listen carefully to feedback. I’ve written about Criticism vs Feedback. I’ve published a free e-book titled Sticks and Stones—download it from my Resources page if you’re interested. “Constructive criticism” is an oxymoron.
But I did receive some great feedback. I learned what worked well and identified some ideas that just didn’t connect. One particular section obviously didn’t work at all.
The next (hopefully) version of the workshop will be better because I learned from this one.
“Needs improvement” isn’t the same as “failure.” The weekend was a success. Certain parts could be improved, but that’s ALWAYS the case. Learning from mistakes doesn’t require regret or guilt.
It’s not about ideas and content—it’s about stories and relationships. What’s “it”? Anything that matters.
Content—good and bad—fades with time. Think back to your school experiences, and I’ll bet you remember your good teachers even if you can’t recall the details of their instruction.
In any circumstance, lasting value is created when people connect in authentic, transparent ways.
It’s not about me. See above. Whether I’m selling books or posting on the web site or responding to email, it’s about relationships and stories and how God works through those connections.
Plan a lot, and then plan to let it happen. Whatever you’re planning, it won’t occur exactly as you envision. And that’s a good thing, because the best memories usually arise from interruptions.
My prayer for the weekend, and for everything I do, is that God will surprise me. He did, and He always does. I just need to be quiet and get out of the way.
What can you add? What have you learned from a significant event?
-
Did you enjoy this article? Please leave a comment .
-
Please use the icons below to share this article.
- Want to receive free updates? You can follow by RSS, or email updates.
Related articles: