One Life

I’m sitting in the middle of a rather amusing conversation. Pete is trying to work out how to use Twitter, and Tim, Onelife’s technology hero, is patiently showing him the ropes and we’re all trying not to laugh.

Learning new things is sometimes fun and sometimes frustrating. There are times when you just don’t get it and probably never will (like me and biology), or other times when you have to go slow and be patient (like Pete and Twitter), and still other times when you get it right away and won’t stop because you love the fact that you can do it (like when you learn how to pronounce an impressive word and try to use in every sentence).

We just have to be prepared for when learning something new isn’t really fun.  There have been a few moments this year where I’ve had to do something I’ve never done before and it wasn’t necessarily the most exciting thrill of my life.  An example? Event management.

I never expected to get it right away – organisation isn’t really a weakness of mine, but I would never call it a strength either. And while the event went okay (people actually came!) the whole day I was slightly stressed. I was learning how to do it, and I felt like I was wearing a big sign that said ‘Yes, I am a novice, please be nice to me.’ But I figure, I’m going to have to be able to organise events. So I had better just go for it.

If we want to keep moving forward, we have to learn new things. We can’t avoid it. Especially if we want to lead – because isn’t that leadership? Leading people into unknown territory, places they haven’t been before? If we can’t do it, we can’t ask them to.

So make the effort. Even if it’s a little embarrassing, like Pete’s attempts at Twitter, make the effort.