My mantra for learning

Learn, Create, Evaluate, Unlearn, Repeat.

Learn

We’re always learning whether we do it consciously or subconsciously. But learning goes to nothing when all we do is learn.

Create

This is the process of application, where theory translates to practice. You will know what works when you get your hands dirty. It’s a space to experiment, enjoy, fall down, bruise. This is your playground.

Evaluate

Creating and applying more often than not tells us what doesn’t work out quite right. Here we pause, breathe deep and go “let me find out why”. Uncover the processes driving success, and why others failed to meet predictions. If creation is the mind’s playground, evaluation is its gym.

Unlearn

Unlearning is like the ugly duckling. For the unbeknownst, it is misunderstood, shunned, taken lightly or even feared. Understandably, there is lesser literature on this than on learning.

To me, unlearning is teaching the ego to let go of methods, strategies and thinking that are unproductive, unhelpful and potentially destructive. Yes, these old habits had some sort of utility. Yet when you’ve uncovered what works better, to not unlearn is a great disservice to oneself.

It is easier written than done, myself included. Clinging to old habits give us temporary safety and comfort, but we trade it off by simply staying there. The same spot, hitting the same bumps, wallowing in the same tears. Life is too short to live in a repeat button. Unlearning gives us that choice not to, only if you take a chance with the ugly duckling. Who knows, the duckling might just blossom into a pretty thing.