Why do some people seem to learn things quickly while others do not? Is it always a matter of intelligence? Not likely. There are plenty of equally smart people who learn at different rates.
I have a new friend who amazed me at how smart she was but how little she knows. I concluded very rapidly that she has and continues to live a sheltered life where very little change occurs. She has had relatively very few life experiences that would contribute to a smart person learning new things. Moreover, she is very uncomfortable at this point in life to try new things, go to new places or experience people who are different from her. She seems very comfortable right where she is.
In John Maxwell’s Law10: The Law Of The Rubber Band – Growth Stops When You Lose The Tension Between Where You Are And Where You Could Be, John uses rubber bands to illustrate how people live and learn differently, and it all has to do with being willing to take risks. Some people are averse to change and prefer to do the same things in the same ways with the same people all the time and in the end get the same results they always have. And then they ask the same question: why? Why did that happen? Those are people who play it safe. There is nothing wrong with playing it safe. However, if you are inclined to take some risks and stretch yourself like a rubber band, you will almost certainly grow more swiftly than if not. The irony of this rubber band illustration is that unstretched rubber bands serve little or purpose. They haven’t the tension to well serve their primary objective which is to hold things in place.
The first question regarding this concept is why do people learn faster when stretched? The three-part answer is this:
1. People who extend themselves have a broader range of experiences that provide educational opportunities and prepare them for more.
2. People who extend themselves bump into more obstacles sooner than those who do not. They come face to face with adversity that they can either run from or deal with directly.
3. The more people tackle obstacles faced, the more they learn how to get around those obstacles to succeed.
According to John, the truths about stretching include:
A. Few people Want to Stretch.
B. Settling for the status quo ultimately Leads to Destruction.
C. Stretching always starts from The Inside Out.
D. Stretching always requires Change.
E. Stretching sets you apart From Others.
F. Stretching can become a Lifestyle.
G. Stretching gives you a shot at Significance.
The next question is how do you stretch yourself so to learn faster? Consider this quote by Rabbi Nahman: “If you won’t be better tomorrow than today, then what do you need tomorrow for?” From this quote, assessing the gap between who you are and whom you want to be will provide you a baseline from which to begin stretching yourself. Taking a step by step approach to becoming whom you wish to will require planning and execution. That execution will extend you. Once you have done that enough, you will become used to it. If like me, you will then become uncomfortable with being comfortable and watch to be stretched. It is an easy illustration to understand. Just as inactivity results in atrophy, extending results in expansion.
John recommends that we stretch in the areas of our abilities and our giftedness. That makes perfect sense. Stretching in your area of strength will challenge you. Stretching in your area of weakness will intimidate you. Mistakes in your area of strength will challenge you. Mistakes in your area of weakness will threaten you.
I was recently told by someone “You are no Jim Maxwell!” She meant John Maxwell, my mentor, so I didn’t correct her since I knew what she said. She was essentially telling me that I was dreaming about one of my future business endeavors. I want to share what I know about leadership, selling and planning/goal setting with others by creating short training videos or conducting on-site sessions for them. It has been a desire of mine for a few years, and the wheels are now in motion for this to become a reality. These are areas where I am gifted so even if I don’t attain my modest goals I will have fun and gain additional insight as part of the process. My dream-killer acquaintance will not deter my efforts because they are an area of giftedness and now a priority of mine. I will push forward because I don’t mind stepping out of my comfort zone. It is how I grow and learn.
You want to stretch around your strength and where you are gifted. Stretching requires exerting energy. So why waste that energy on areas of weakness? A personal example of that for me has to do with an area of strength and an area of weakness for me. I am quite competent in a sales call with three other people in the room. If I screw up on the call, I will likely recognize it during my post-call analysis and will work hard to perform better the next time. You see, providing value to prospects is both an area of strength for me and an area where I want to excel.
A different activity for me is playing golf. At one point, a few years ago, I was consistently shooting in the mid to high 80’s and had reached the low 80’s on two consecutive rounds. I decided then to take lessons to allow me to enter the 70’s. I soon discovered that golf is not a strength of mine. After taking a few lessons, my score skyrocketed into the high 90’s. My frustration with that plunge inspired me to quit playing for a period. I returned to occasionally playing a year ago, but I am still consistently shooting in the 90’s. To get my score into the 70’s at this point in my life will require more effort than I am willing to put forth.
In a TedXStanford talk that I recently listened to, Yubing Zhang stated that “Life begins at the end of our comfort zone.” That is indeed something to ponder. Being willing to stretch yourself doesn’t mean you are any smarter than those who do not, but only that you will get an education sooner as part of the natural flow of the process of taking risks, making mistakes, prioritizing your efforts and stepping out of your comfort zone. So that is how you will learn faster.