One of the most important things I do to continue learning how to do what I do better is to listen to how others are doing it. I do not always have a lot of time to read, but I do have a lot of time to listen as I go about my daily routine. Driving in my car, walking with my dogs or on the treadmill, folding laundry and even cleaning my home have all become platforms of learning for me.
This morning I was re-listening to an old Donald Miller Podcast where he interviews professional golfer Ben Crane.
Now, I do not have much in common with professional level golfers, but I was encouraged by how he approaches his daily routine in learning to do what he does better. Ben is no slacker in the world of professional golf, but it's how he has gone about getting to his level of play that I found most intriguing.
While I really hope you listen for yourself, I wanted to share the biggest take-away I received.
At the end of every round of golf he plays, Ben asks himself three questions:
What did I do well?
What did I learn?
What am I going to do about what I learned?
He says he does this to not only help keep his mind focused on the positive, but to also give himself the opportunity to develop a quiet mind. (Who couldn't use more of that right?)
The truth is that we will make mistakes everyday, but mistakes are not failures. They are opportunities to learn and grow.
What could happen if instead of beating yourself up for not doing something well enough you said instead: What did I learn from this and what am I going to do about it?
Think about it.
While you are pondering, listen to the podcast! It will really help! Let me know in the comments what you come up with!
Go ahead and comment below with your answers to the questions:
What have you done well today?
What have you learned today?
What are you going to do about what you have learned today?