Getting Ready to Plant

As spring approaches, our thoughts turn to gardening. We begin to plan what we will plant and look forward to watching things grow with a rich harvest in the fall. But as all great gardeners know, first we must turn over and fertilize the soil.

Learning is similar. In his book called "Leadershift", John C. Maxwell explores key changes every leader must embrace. Near the top of this list is growth and we do that by learning.

So often when we think about growth, we focus on the harvest. We see our goals being accomplished, the people who will be helped and the success this will bring to our organization. While all of these things are worthwhile and important, none of them can happen if we don't first turn the soil and fertilize.

5 Tips for Staying Teachable

How we approach our lives, the attitude we bring to others, and what we make out of the events that come our way—all of this is an opportunity to learn. But only if we are teachable.

Follow these tips from John J. Maxwell to cultivate a teachable spirit:

1. Make growth your top priority. It is easy in our busy world to become overly focused on getting things done. After all, who doesn't want to be productive. But if we do not also maintain an open mind and commit to learning from everything we encounter, we will not grow.
2. Look for opportunities to grow in everything you do. John Wood, the Hall of Fame Baseball Coach said, "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." None of us have finished growing. If we are open to the possibility of discovery, we will learn.
3. Ask questions. The very effort of coming up with questions engages our curiosity and makes us think. The more we participate in the events and conversations of our life, the more we learn. Plus, it's more fun for everyone when we bounce ideas back and forth. Relationships are built on well thought out questions.
4. File away what you learn. How many times have you learned something wonderful one day only to forget it a few weeks later? It's so easy now to store our ideas. You can use a notepad on your phone or even do a quick audio recording. Not only will having that information for reference later help you stay sharp, the act of storing it will reinforce what you learned.
5.  Share what you have learned with others. One of the best parts of a rich harvest is sharing the bounty with those we care about. Especially when you're connecting to others who are also committed to their personal growth, sharing what you have learned brings everyone joy. When people explore ideas, the ideas gain power and strength.

The Fertile Ground of Books

At the UpCloseTeam, we are always looking for new ways of growing. We love reading about the latest leadership tools and discovering fresh ideas for personal growth. However, like many of you, we don't have as much time for reading as we would like, and there are more good books coming out every day.

That's why we were so excited when we found Readitfor.me. This amazing service provides fun to watch videos that summarize key points in the latest business and personal development books.

Sign up for free and we will send you three videos on the hottest books every week. Just go to our website at the upcloseteam.com/weekly-book-buzz to learn more.

Call to Action

For the next two days, go through your life with a sharpened focus. Look for opportunities to grow that you may not have recognized before. Ask questions, write down what you learn, and share with others.

Your Friends,
The UpCloseTeam