How to Learn from Every Experience

I see many people talking about learning from their failures, but almost no one mentions learning from their successes. From childhood, we’re hardwired to learn from our mistakes, but often, we ignore learning from our wins. Failures tell you what not to do, but success tells you what to do and how. It’s more than just a destination. it's a series of  -steps -decisions,  -and strategies that help us achieve our goals. Just as we go over and over again and analyze why we failed analyzing our successes can give you a blueprint for constantly winning and hitting your goals. For example: Say you delivered a successful running project, but you don’t understand what exactly you did to make it work, you won’t be able to repeat it again. That’s why this practice is so important. Use this simple and easy 4-step process to create our own recipe for success. 1/ Reflection: Take the time to reflect on your successes.  What gave positive outcomes? What strategies or steps worked for you? 2/ Identify Patterns: Look for repeating patterns in your wins and successes. Are there specific approaches, habits, or collaborations that helped you deliver? Take note of those. 3/ Adapt: Understand that Success is not fixed. It can change depending on the situation. Use what works well for you in different settings and problems to make sure you come out on top. 4/ Continuous Improvement: Learn from both good and bad outcomes. Success is not about being perfect; it’s about getting better. Once you create a habit of doing this constantly, you’ll be able to pinpoint what it is exactly that helps you move forward in life. Believe me, I’ve been doing it for the past 2 decades. It’s life-changing. P.S: What’s one success story from your life and 3 key things you learned? Don’t hide what you learned, inspire and help others grow by sharing your stories and tips.

How do you learn continuously over a lifetime? This morning I sat down with an amazing set of #WomenInTech leaders at LinkedIn to talk about how to make sure we are investing in building skills. I’ve used this framework for myself for many years, and (as she always does) Prashanthi Padmanabhan encouraged me to scale through sharing this with others 📈 Mindset of accelerated learning It is easy to learn new things every day. But it is harder to make sure that every week or year you are accelerating your learning curve. You want to see your learning opportunities get harder over time, the challenges meatier. When you see yourself learning at the same rate for awhile, it's time to consider how to change this. ➡️ Gather data from everywhere You can gather data in *every* interaction you witness or experience. This goes way beyond traditional feedback that comes through performance reviews. This can be observing and learning from the world around you, or watching a superstar in action in a meeting (h/t to Gyanda Sachdeva for her latest post on this). Active observation opens up new perspectives. 🧠 Reflect and transform what you've learned through experimentation Once you realize how much data is coming in, it's time to sift through that data through reflection. Whether it's journaling, talking to peers/mentors, coaching, or a long walk, it’s important to take what you saw, decide what you want to throw out and what you want to take. Then jump into action - try stuff, reflect, and then change it as you gather new data.

Most leaders are wonderful human-beings. They are loving and caring leaders that want what's best for their employees. Most leaders I work with inspire me to be a better man, husband, father and leader. At the same time, nearly every leader has bouts of self-doubt. This is part of our human condition. In fact, many leaders I work with attribute their success to their Hyper-Achiever tendencies. Here is how we try to work to stay in an achievement mindset while being kind to ourselves in the process. We focus on accepting that we are constantly growing and learning, and every experience, whether perceived as success or failure, is an opportunity for growth and improvement. In Positive Intelligence (PQ) language, this is a Sage perspective. This Sage perspective shifts our perspective from a judgmental and self-critical mindset to one of continuous growth and empowerment. By embracing the idea that every experience, regardless of its outcome, contributes to our personal and professional development, we can cultivate resilience, self-confidence, and a positive outlook on life. Here's how we can reinforce this belief: Practice Self-Compassion: Instead of being overly critical of ourselves, let's practice self-compassion and kindness. Treat ourselves with the same understanding and support that we would offer to a friend facing a similar situation. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Shift our focus from perfectionism to progress. Celebrate our achievements and the progress we've made, no matter how small. Recognize that setbacks and challenges are natural parts of the learning process. We like to teach that the pursuit of perfection is noble and the expectation of perfection is insane. Learn from Every Experience: Approach every experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. Reflect on both our successes and failures, extracting valuable lessons and insights that can inform our future actions and decisions. Challenge Negative Self-Talk: When we catch ourselves engaging in negative self-talk or self-doubt, challenge those thoughts with evidence of our past successes and our potential for growth. Replace self-limiting beliefs with empowering affirmations that reinforce our ability to overcome challenges. We like to teach....Spot, Stop, Swap or Recognize, Rest, Rewire. Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Adopt a growth mindset, believing that our abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and effort. Embrace challenges as opportunities to stretch our skills and expand our capabilities. Seek Support and Feedback: Surround ourselves with mentors, coaches, or trusted friends who can offer guidance, perspective, and encouragement along our journey. A great mantra/affirmation might be, "I am constantly growing and learning, and every experience, whether perceived as success or failure, is an opportunity for growth and improvement." How does your Hyper-Achiever help/hurt you?