Learning from others.
A professional golfer told me that the biggest reason most golfers’ scores don’t improve much is that they tend to play with other golfers whose skill levels are roughly the same as theirs. As a result, there’s no one to learn from, so there’s no growth or improvement. The same holds true for other aspects of life: people tend to surround themselves with others who are at the same level as they are. While this makes for a very comfortable situation, there’s no one to learn from, so there’s no opportunity for growth. This is not to say that you shouldn’t hang out with people you’re comfortable with, but also make room in your life for people you can learn from–people who are going to challenge you and force you to expand your comfort zone. I came across a quote that sums this up nicely: “Successful people continue to learn and grow while unsuccessful people think they already know.”
Learning from mentors in childhood is a hallmark in future success. What we often ignore in the growth cycle is the value of learning from others in older age when we think we know it all. At the age of 73, I find myself often learning from younger people and people at an earlier point on the same continuum I am on, grieving as an example.
The reason I continue to volunteer with SCORE is the opportunity to learn from my clients: new business ventures; innovative products and services, new and effective approaches to forming and growing small businesses.