I’m a huge fan of routine.
It helps you achieve, learn, and stay focused. It keeps you energized to pour all your effort into the activities that matter most. Repeating the same habits and behaviors—without thinking—enables you to become expert in your craft. Routine enables the process of deliberate practice, which is where world class skills are born.
But I’m also a firm believer in growth. That we should consistently strive to become the best version of ourselves we possibly can.
This means entering and staying within the Learning Zone as frequently as possible. By stretching beyond the limits of what we’re comfortable with, we force ourselves to develop new skills or build on existing abilities. Either way, we become a better, stronger, more resilient self. But it doesn’t happen if we only stick to our existing routines.
We need to try new things to reach our full potential.
Think of it like lifting weights. Your goal is to build muscle, but you have to tear them down before they can be rebuilt. You’ll feel the discomfort, no doubt, but the end result will be stronger and more powerful than what was there before. Without fatiguing your muscles through exercise, your strength will plateau; you need to feel uncomfortable before you can become stronger.
The same can be said about our other skills and abilities, can’t it? If we don’t challenge ourselves to step beyond what we’re used to, how can we possibly improve? Sure, we can continue to perfect our craft with a very narrow set of skills. But how much potential are we leaving untapped?
This past week I stepped firmly into the Learning Zone by trying my hand at two new things I had never done before. The first was teaching a two hour Product Management class on short notice, while the second was debuting my new company at a local farmers’ market. Each required a unique set of skills I hadn’t fully tapped into yet, and I was unsure how things would turn out. I had the confidence needed to succeed, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little anxious before each event.
It turns out I had nothing worry about. Both events were very successful, and I enjoyed the thrill of stretching myself. Student feedback from the PM class was overwhelmingly positive, and we ended up selling out of two products at the farmers’ market. But perhaps most importantly, I now understand what it’s like to be thrown into the fire in those situations. I can now say, “I’ve done this before” which gives me a great foundation to build upon.
Were there some aspects of each event that could have gone better? Definitely. But that’s the fun of trying new things—there’s always room to get better, to keep improving.
If you had to try your hand at something new, what would it be? What would you teach, sell, or learn?
Whatever it is, give it a shot. You never know what joy you’ll uncover.