We can learn from it in so many ways, and I am continually reminded of one of those key ideas from a hit country song You’re Gonna Miss This performed by Trace Adkins (if you’re not a country music fan you might know Trace as the runner-up on Donald Trump’s The Celebrity Apprentice).
The song shares three moments in a young woman’s life. These are times of everyday events – and the chorus offers this advice to her:
You`re gonna miss this
You`re gonna want this back
You`re gonna wish these days hadn`t gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you`re gonna miss this
(You can read all of the lyrics and watch the video if you’d like.)
The song is sentimental, country and I love it. But I don’t just love it because of the sound or the overt message. I love it because it gets to the heart of something we all must do if we want to be more effective, continual learners.
You see, there are nuggets of learning available for us every day – and not just in unusual, major events of the day but in the mundane of everyday. However, we can only mine those nuggets when we want to gather them, are aware of them and remain present in those mundane moments.
When we do those three things, we can capture the moments, the memories and the learning.
Let’s explore those three points.
Desire
To learn from any situation, even a “normal” one, you must want to be learning! When I listen to this song, I hear the author imploring the young woman to recognize the importance of the moments, and that there are lessons for her in those moments.
The fundamental starting point for any learning – whether from life situation or a formal learning event – is the desire to learn.
Awareness
Awareness starts with the recognition that learning opportunities are all around you. If you don’t recognize that fact, you’ll miss thousands of opportunities. When you are aware, your subconscious mind will allow you to be more observant. In order to capture the learning moment you must be observant with . . .
Your eyes – what do you see?
Your ears – what do you we hear?
Your nose – what do you smell?
Your hands – what do you touch?
Your heart – what and how do you feel?
When the situation feels especially rich for your learning, take a second and step back. Close your eyes (literally or figuratively) and take in the experience. Doing this will help you to lock it into your memory for future reflection, enjoyment and learning.
Being Present
The old saying goes that the present is a gift, so we must unwrap it! Remaining in the present moment allows you to fully unwrap the gift. If you have desire, and are heightening your awareness, you are on the right path. Being present means immersing yourself in the situation. These aren’t the times for multi-tasking, or thinking about something that comes next.
Here’s an example. Have you ever been watching a movie and been completely wrapped up in it? You feel transformed by the story, the sights and the sounds. When this is true, the time flies by! You don’t look at the clock or even think about how long it has been or how much longer it will be, do you?
In these cases you are completely present with your experience of the movie. Being present allows you to enjoy and get more from the movie. Being present in your life will do the same – only your life is both real . . . and yours.
Desire, awareness and remaining present. These are the keys to learning continually and to capturing the memories we don’t want to lose. Your life is happening, and the lessons are there. Take these steps and build these habits and you won’t miss it. You’ll have the lessons and the memories – and a more successful and fulfilling life.
Kevin Eikenberry is a leadership expert and the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group, a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of speaking, consulting and training services. He loves sentimental songs, learning everyday and helping people, teams and organizations reach their goals through learning. He also is the author of Vantagepoints on Learning and Life (vantagepoints.net), a collection of essays to inspire and inform yo
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