Continuous Development is the Way

Dear Reader,

I wish to send out another challenge for those open to it. I was looking at my personal and professional achievements of this year today. I noted the names of people I wish to have often in my life and the ones I prefer to avoid, as Tim Ferriss recommends doing your year’s review. My positive surprise was to see with how many people I interacted with, going back to the last decade. I had something to learn from each and one of them. Through this channel, I wish to thank them for becoming my teachers at some point.

Throughout our lives, humans may loose sight of how many people impact our culture, learning, thinking patterns and values. Our brain does not. It maintains the recorded information and unexpectedly, by the conscious mind, it surprises you. Just when you think that your instinct is being your ally, you might take a moment and congratulate your mind and brain for having your back and auto-piloting your life for so much of the time.

Increasing your awareness and giving your auto-pilot a break is increasing your learning capacity. Because we, humans, always learn something from someone, from an animal, on our own, through mistakes or simply by living mindfully and aware of your world. It can become our purpose to appreciate each day we learn something, because the act of appreciation requires an active acknowledgement of the learned content.

Your inner voice, your intuition, your feelings—all can be harnessed in the service of progressing personally and professionally, and in making your company and team members improve performance (Hortense le Gentil).

Learning is not necessarily about gathering content. It is more important to activate your doing skills, your competencies of knowing to do something. My years spent at the university, from a first-semester student to a teacher after the defense of a PhD thesis, have provided my a relevant set of transferable skills that are very useful in all areas of my life.

Hence, my challenge for the new year is for both me and you to acknowledge each day that we are constantly learning and therefore developing for our tomorrow next best self. Learn your way and practice what you learn! See the potential in front of you! Activate your self-love and self-compassion in order to provide them to your loved ones!