Every day’s a learning day!
However our day works out, we can learn from our experiences. We can reflect on what we did or didn’t do that had the impact we intended and we can identify what we would do again (or not!). There are lots of models we can use for this approach but the simplest is to make time in your calendar, get a cup of tea (or your tipple of choice!), and think about it as objectively as you can. Focus on the positives, identifying what you would keep doing, and for each of the negatives, identify what you have learned as a consequence.
We can also reflect on the actions of others and what they have done that worked or didn’t. No judgement here, nor self aggrandisement, simply recognising good practice and great ideas. The trick here is to consider how that approach could be used in your life and work. For example, you might observe that Marks & Spencer differentiated their food offering with the “it’s not just food, it’s M&S food” and you could consider how you could create your tagline in a similar way, or how you could approach home life with “it’s not just a house, it’s my home” to recognise the uniqueness of each of us. This approach of applying a good idea to your context and making it your own is called creative swiping.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that you steal people’s ideas. This is about learning from each other, celebrating great work and applying it in your context (which will be completely different). You might combine different ideas to come up with something utterly brilliant that works for you. It’s also important to recognise where the idea came from – we’re not passing off other people’s ideas as our own!
This is what Rachel and I did in developing 80% Awesome… we took the principles of Agile that we had observed working in software businesses and project management and started applying them to our businesses, and then into our lives more holistically. From that came the Lean Life Canvas and FamBan…. And there are some more ideas in development for application of this approach in other contexts. We are passionate about sharing this too and would actively encourage you to creatively swipe this approach! Use the tools, keep on building your positive perspective and learn every day!
