How we improve

We improve everyday. We don’t need to attend various training courses, lectures or to study in any other explicit form of learning. The life is our teacher and developer.

How to notice if we are improving
There exists one very simple method – to do any kind of work, task or assignment, which you haven’t done for a while.

First time I felt this very clearly, when I played a computer game after one year break. It’s worth to mention that I have the diploma on my wall for winning the second place in Lithuania and that the game is real time strategy.

Here’s what I noticed: despite the fact that I have lost the huge speed on developing economy and pressing keyboard buttons, couldn’t remember some tactics and benefits of some technological upgrades, however, my thinking was dramatically changed. Even before launching the game, I did fast review of possible strategies and offered teammates a way to play. Throughout a game I was continuously thinking what my opponent will do and how to prepare my defence and attacks to beat his strategy. What could think that the game can tell so much about us? Suddenly it became clear why I failed to go beyond certain limits of professionalism no matter how hard I practiced.

Also, I am often surprised by discovery of certain thinking and behaviour changes. Searching for decisions became process of calculating minuses and pluses instead of using feelings, which often come with a fear of failure. If there is no difference between choices, I can just throw a coin. However, it was a hard task before a few years ago: other people wishes looked like my own (for example, attitude that it is a must to have a Master’s degree), I believed that other people arguments are correct without testing them and did many other things, which now look stupid. Even if I know something I ask about it to make sure that both sides understand it the same way and correctly.

How do we develop ourselves
Of the above examples can be seen that improvement in any area leads to better results in any other. This is well illustrated by an extract from the memorisation expert Tony Buzan book: “it was found that learning music helps to study math, and math – helps to study music, rhythm training makes learning foreign language easier, foreign language studying helps to develop a sense of rhythm, spatial awareness helps to learn mathematics, and mathematics learning – to understand space and so on.
Thus, the more different things we do, the more we improve in every aspect of our life, because we start using both sides of our brains.

Conclusions
All these observations lead to one conclusion. The more different situations we experience, the wiser we become. Also, often without even noticing it.
Every problem of life makes us smarter and better prepared for future changes.

November 16, 2009 · Povilas Panavas · No Comments
Tags: , , ,  Â· Posted in: Personal Development

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