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cover of episode 074 - Where Are You Learning...But Not DOING?

074 - Where Are You Learning...But Not DOING?

2019/6/17
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The Positive Pants Podcast

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Make sure you’re following me on Instagram @franexcellcoach and tag me into your key takeaways!

 

Where are you learning but not DOING?

 

Where are you stuck in learning mode, paralised in inaction by the ‘I don’t know enough yet’ gremlin?

 

If you know that’s you, don’t panic.

 

I can identify with this one BIG time, as a constant collector of qualifications who’s obsessed with learning more and more and more.

 

I have spent a small fortune on my education and continue to do so.

 

I would say I spend the majority of my time learning.  

 

I LOVE it.  I’d go as far as to say i’m a little obsessed with it.

 

However, I realised a few years ago that I was completely stuck in constant learning mode, and not implementing much of ANYTHING, just carrying it around in my noggin.  

 

So I went on my own little ‘journey of self discovery’ to work out why, what was behind it, what was REALLY stopping me taking action, in favour of learning even more...and how can identify it next time to make sure I don’t stay stuck in it.

 

My ‘learning’ story

 

Most of our ‘programming’ happens before were even 7 years old so it can be helpful to take a look back and see if anything happened of any significance at that time that could explain or cause certain belief systems that we then carry with us into adulthood.

 

Because, when you have a belief, why would you challenge it?  It’s fact right?

 

So, when I was young I always believed that I was the ‘stupid’ one out of my brother and I.  

 

He’s 3 years older than me.  Oh I had the street smarts and common sense for sure, I was the creative one.  But he’s a through and through academic, and I thought this was ‘better’ because that’s what the school system teaches us right?  

 

His capacity for learning is second to none.  I’ve lost count of the amount of languages he can speak, and complicated things he can pick up in the blink of an eye.

 

I was different.

 

I was pretty jealous too I guess.  Everything seemed to come so easily for him on that front.

 

He’s 3 years older and I always felt inferior and felt that I struggled with the academic stuff.  

 

Which actually wasn’t true (we found my old school reports to prove it ha!), it was just a story I told myself repeatedly that became true for me.  

 

I continued to tell myself this even in the face of good exam results.  He was a straight A, A* student and I was more of a solid B. A if I applied myself and C when I just wasn’t interested in the subject.

 

This story of not being clever, and not being ‘good’ at learning followed me through life.  

 

I would stick to ‘my’ subjects and not go anywhere near the ‘clever’ subjects. I wouldn’t put myself in a position where I had to.

 

I wouldn’t go on the holidays with friends that would require me to learn anything, even if it would be fun! Think PADI diving and skiing.

 

I just wouldn’t do it because this unconscious story I held on to was SO strong.

 

I HATED exams.  I still do to this day (why I keep putting myself in the situation to take them I don’t know ha!) the mere mention of the word and my anxiety comes up along with mr procrastinator gremlin, and when it’s self study I can take a really long time to complete qualifications despite having completed all the material.  

 

It’s a pattern I recognise in myself now.  If a qualification doesn’t have a bit of a time limit on achieving it then I’ll keep putting it off so I need to make sure my goals are rock solid to make sure I actually do it.

 

I told myself I didn’t ‘like’ learning (I mean...WTF?!) and I wasn’t ‘good’ at it.  

 

Can you see how all this held me back?

 

Now, I like to be good at everything so often I used to shy away from things I didn’t think i’d be very good at.  

 

Now, however, those are often the things I chuck myself at because I KNOW I can learn them if I choose to.

 

The next thing that happened once I identified this pattern, and challenged it for the absolute lie it was, is that learning became my favourite thing to do.  

 

For my birthday this year I attended 2 3 day back to back seminars….for fun!

 

I’m like a sponge in the subjects i’m interested in.

 

So that’s all cool and you can see how important it is to identify these beliefs and patterns and how easy it is for them to keep you completely and utterly stuck.

 

But the difficulty comes when you love learning something, BUT you can very easily get stuck in the mode of ‘I don’t know enough’ when it comes to your business and you keep consuming and consuming knowledge as if it’s a GOOD thing.  

 

And on the one hand it is!

 

On the other hand, if you constantly feel you don’t know ‘enough’ you’re never going to take ACTION and actually IMPLEMENT what you learn!

 

You get stuck in consumption mode, and I really need to watch myself because this is a big thing for me too.

 

And what happens then?  You’re still stuck!!

 

The REAL knowledge COMES from implementing.

 

What can you do to actually implement what you learn right now?

 

Where can you identify right now that you might be doing this?

 

What’s the underlying fear or belief that is keeping you from taking the action now?

 

Where could you be if you did?

 

When you recognise current behaviour and identify the unconscious patterns and beliefs you can challenge them, change them, catch yourself in the habit and choose to change it.  

 

Identify that fear and challenge it, identify the belief and challenge it, then take the action!

 

If you know that now is the time to start changing things for yourself and want to explore this further, have any questions or want some accountability to make sure you’re doing the things you need to then please book in a free discovery call) so we can see what needs to happen to get you from where you’re at right now, to the successful business owner you know you can be!!

 

Fx