“There are three kinds of men. The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence themselves.”

Will Rogers

This quote by Will Rogers caused me to pause and reflect. As I thought about these “three types of men” it struck me that to be most effective you need to be a combination of all three. 

There are things you can learn from books, blogs, newsletters, research abstracts, podcasts, interviews and other sources of information, knowledge and wisdom. It is easy to stay here, and maybe even get stuck here. Reading and listening are important, but they are not enough. 

Other critical pieces of information and understanding are best gained through observation. Observing others in action. Observing other's reactions to us. Observing theories in action in the real world. Observing research concepts being applied in context in your world.  

And, there are some critical lessons we can only learn from experience. There are times when we need to get out of the books, step away from observing, and get to work doing, applying, assessing, redoing, and reassessing. It is often in the doing that you learn how to truly connect the dots between what you read, what you observed and what you do. It is in the doing that you also learn what works for you given your unique strengths, talents and roles. 

Combining all three elements is the foundation for wisdom. I believe wisdom comes from studying, observing, doing, reflecting and assessing. This is not a linear progression like a nice straight line on a graph. It looks more like the scribbling of a small child. At times it is almost chaotic as you bounce around between roles. 

What's Important Now? You can choose just to read, observe or pee on the electric fence. Or, you can choose to weave all three elements into your growth and development. 

Take care.

Brian Willis

www.lifesmostpowerfulquestion.com

www.winningmindtraining.com

Maximizing human potential through Life's Most Powerful Question - What's Important Now?

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