“Well, Didya Learn from It?”

I find it fascinating to ponder this question: “What if I were to actually live out the lessons I’ve learned from my mistakes, big and small?” One of our mentors at Sól Recruiting, Coaching, and Consulting is a former turn-around CEO who has successfully transformed multiple companies over his career. He shared that one of his favorite questions for himself and for his employees is, “Well, didya learn from it?” 

We humans are funny. Often, we learn what we ought to do, and yet we don’t do it. A quote, often attributed to Einstein, captures this well: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If you’re like me, maybe you’re a little insane in this way too. Perhaps you’ve found yourself expecting different results without really having changed much about how you live. 

Part of the problem is not slowing down enough to focus on one particular area. We are pulled in dozens of directions and don’t seem to have the time to write down what we’ve learned or to formulate and adhere to a plan for living it out. 

This week, I invite you to slow down to contemplate:

What is one area of my life (big or small) in which I am repeatedly frustrated? What lessons does this area hold for me (perhaps one I’ve already learned and perhaps some new ones as well)? How might I live out these lessons? What is one small next step that I will take action on this week? 

God bless,
Dan