IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome
Feature Article - Pathways To Learning
Words to Inspire
Guest Column - The Time To Act
Resources for You
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WELCOME

Greetings and welcome to all of you. We are delighted to send you another issue of KEYS TO SUCCESS. Thank you for joining us. In this issue you will discover how the four stages of learning move you towards competency and a sense of mastery.

Personal Note:

As you read this issue I will be visiting the magic kingdom of Disney World in Orlando in search of Mickey Mouse. It's that time of year for the adult kids to play so we are off to Florida for some sun and surf.

Our commitment is to give you practical information and inspirational ideas to benefit your business and personal life. We are committed to "bringing out your best"! We welcome feedback so we can improve and offer real value to you.

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Pathways to Learning

Have you ever tried learning something new and then given up because you felt inept? Learning a new skill or behavior can feel like walking around with your shoes on the wrong feet. It's very uncomfortable.

Have you ever said to someone, "Oh, you are a natural. I could never do that." The truth is they didn't get to be a "natural" magically. They went through the same learning process that we go through when we attempt to learn something new. So how do we move from feeling inept to effortless mastery?

Learning is best understood if we think of it as a process with the following four stages of development.

Stage 1 is Unconscious Incompetence. Essentially it means you don't know what you don't know. It's the ignorance is bliss stage.

Stage 2 is Conscious Incompetence. Now you are aware of what you don't know. You come to the realization that there are certain things you want to learn. Remember the first time you tried to ride a bike, water ski, or ice skate? How many times did you fall down?

Stage 3 is Conscious Competence. You still expend a lot of effort but you are beginning to feel hopeful. Your proficiency is gaining momentum.

Stage 4 is Unconscious Competence. You have now mastered a new skill and you appear to be a natural. You can't imagine not knowing how to do it.

I have a friend who recently retired as an airline pilot. He decided to pursue a new career in real estate and he passed the exam with flying colors although he was certain he failed it. Becoming a realtor is a whole new learning experience for him and he struggles between stages 2 (Conscious Incompetence) and 3 (Conscious Competence). Everything is different in his new career. He gets frustrated because as a pilot his competency was at stage four (Unconscious Competence). He was a natural when it came to flying a plane. He has just forgotten his beginning days of learning to fly planes!

We are not so different from my friend when it comes to learning new skills. Learning to use computers and technology is a prime example of moving through the four stages of learning. Remember when just turning on the computer was an effort, sending e-mails seemed insurmountable, and taking a class via the Internet was mind-boggling. Now we take it all for granted. How did we ever not know how to do it? Technology has challenged us to learn new skills and become more competent living and working in a virtual, wireless world.

Understanding the four stages of learning is important. It gives us hope that we can continue to learn and master new skills. We may feel inept but we won't become extinct. Eventually, we know our shoes will be on the right feet!
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WORDS TO INSPIRE

"Fall seven times, stand up eight."
Japanese Proverb

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
George Bernard Shaw

"Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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GUEST ARTICLE

The Time to Act by Jim Rohn

Engaging in genuine discipline requires that you develop the ability to take action. You don't need to be hasty if it isn't required, but you don't want to lose much time either. Here's the time to act: when the idea is hot and the emotion is strong.

Let's say you would like to build your library. If that is a strong desire for you, what you've got to do is get the first book. Then get the second book. Take action as soon as possible, before the feeling passes and before the idea dims. If you don't, here's what happens -

- YOU FALL PREY TO THE LAW OF DIMINISHING INTENT -

We intend to take action when the idea strikes us. We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we don't translate that intention into action fairly soon, the urgency starts to diminish. A month from now the passion is cold. A year from now it can't be found.

So take action. Set up a discipline when the emotions are high and the idea is strong, clear, and powerful. If somebody talks about good health and you're motivated by it, you need to get a book on nutrition. Get the book before the idea passes, before the emotion gets cold. Begin the process. Fall on the floor and do some push-ups. You've got to take action; otherwise the wisdom is wasted. The emotion soon passes unless you apply it to a disciplined activity. Discipline enables you to capture the emotion and the wisdom and translate them into action.
The key is to increase your motivation by quickly setting up the disciplines. By doing so, you've started a whole new life process.

Here is the greatest value of discipline: self-worth, also known as self-esteem. Many people who are teaching self-esteem these days don't connect it to discipline. But once we sense the least lack of discipline within ourselves, it starts to erode our psyche. One of the greatest temptations is to just ease up a little bit. Instead of doing your best, you allow yourself to do just a little less than your best. Sure enough, you've started in the slightest way to decrease your sense of self-worth.

There is a problem with even a little bit of neglect. Neglect starts as an infection. If you don't take care of it, it becomes a disease. And one neglect leads to another. Worst of all, when neglect starts, it diminishes our self-worth.

Once this has happened, how can you regain your self-respect? All you have to do is act now! Start with the smallest discipline that corresponds to your own philosophy. Make the commitment: "I will discipline myself to achieve my goals so that in the years ahead I can celebrate my successes."

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

This article was submitted by Jim Rohn, America's Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go to www.jimrohn.com or send a blank email to subscribe@jimrohn.com
Copyright (c) 2001 Jim Rohn International. All rights reserved worldwide.
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RESOURCES FOR YOU

Are you ready for a refreshing, inspirational ezine? Visit http://www.becomingu.net and subscribe to Lisa Micklin's Weekly Wake Up ezine. Each week is a new artistic collage designed to represent the energy of a quote. The beauty Lisa creates will take your breath away. You won't be disappointed.