Written by: Brigitte Münch, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Learning is not only a lifelong journey; it is essential for our existence. We need food for our brain, mind and soul to be able to grow and strive, to unlock potential and to push boundaries, to strengthen our mental resources and foster our resilience. Stopping to learn means stopping to develop and grow – which means stopping to live. A life without continuous learning is unthinkable.
For many reasons, this winter has been a special one for me.
Born in Northern Germany on 5 metres above sea level, I spent almost 20 years in a very flat landscape. When the love story between my skis, the Alps and me started in those childhood days, I had no idea where it would carry me. Of course, I deeply adored all of the ski instructors in their red dresses for handling their slats in such an incredibly elegant and sportive way, for being so tanned and always in a good and easy-going mood. But even in my wildest dreams, I would not have been able to see myself in the same red dress, joining them in ski school and working as an instructor…
A couple of years later, however, this is exactly what happened! When I started to study at university, I chose the one which was closest to Switzerland to be able and follow my skiing passion during vacation times. I was offered a holiday job in my favourite ski school, and it was just great to be in nature, do the sport I love and even being paid for it! And during that time, I became aware of another passion: the joy of learning and teaching. Acquiring new skills myself, but also sharing my excitement for skiing and the majesty of nature, helping others to detect a new hobby, being part of their gladness and pride when they succeeded to make their first turn, seeing them grow their skills – all of that gave me deep satisfaction.
Those happy and funny days in ski school, unfortunately, ended when I left university and started a career in the legal industry. I still went skiing whenever I could, but like all of us in “normal” employment, my vacation time was limited, and besides I lived and worked in different parts of Europe and not all of them could offer me mountains, which were close enough to easily get there or high enough to offer a skiing experience similar to the Alps (yeah, I was horribly spoiled…). I was running in my hamster wheel, had interesting position master wheels, worked together with inspiring, smart people across different countries and cultures – and did not really notice that silent inner voice. We probably all go through phases in our professional lives where we feel dissatisfaction, weariness or a lack of fulfilment.
However, at one point I clearly felt that something is missing. And to make a quite long story short, a few years ago I did not only leave my job, my legal career and the country I lived in at that point in time, I also followed my desire to reinforce the teaching part in my professional life. I wanted to work with people and support them on their journey of development and growth, and that also included the wish to share mind-shifting insights I could gain throughout my own path. It was incredibly exciting to move to Switzerland and start my own business as a coach and trainer – and last autumn, I had the idea to acquire new tools for my coaching business by closing the loop and spending this winter season in my “old” ski school, working as a ski instructor…
I have always been curious and loved changing my perspective and learning new things – so it is needless to say that the return to the good old days in ski school has offered me a big playground, equipping me with so many incredibly valuable lessons each and every day for myself and also my work as coach and trainer. In particular, the work with beginners has given me a steep “insights curve”: Teaching them means putting myself in the shoes of a newbie, looking through the glasses of a novice and experiencing the excitement as well as sore muscles, pain or fear of a new form of movement, coordination, gravity and detection that we are able to fly!
Maybe some of you have started to learn something new during the last weeks, months or years, and experienced the inspiration and magic lying within. Looking at “the new” with the eyes of a child again, admiring those who are already mastering it, knowing you want to learn that new thing without having any idea of how you will get there – but understanding that the only chance is to start, to fail, get up and start again until you succeed, and then move on from that new point of success to the next level – provides you with a boost of energy and excitement, strengthens your confidence and opens your eyes for skills you never thought you had.
Here are 10 “learning highlights”, which I am taking with me from this special winter experience in ski school, and which may motivate you to learn something new or continue on your learning path:
Remain open and curious. Learning is a lifelong journey, and there are so many things out there you have not tried before. No matter what it is you start to learn, the process of acquiring something new will teach you something, open your mind, heart and brain, increase your understanding and dissolve boundaries.
Start! And don´t let anything stop you. The only way to find out whether you like the new sport, the new art, the new language, the new science, the new handcraft or whatever it may be, is to start! It is inspiring to begin and try something you have not done before, it broadens your horizon, questions your assumed limits, and last but not least it is fun! When you fail or fall, get up and continue. Failures are just necessary steps on your way to success. Yes, you may need to (re-)learn how to get up, and sometimes your bottom seems to be too heavy… but also that part is possible and learnable – and you are capable to do it yourself! Still, it is amazing how many people will be there to help you.
Find the right environment and position for you to have a good start. The basic position when skiing is grounded and flexible to all sides at the same time – a wonderful position to start whatever learning journey you want to encounter! Find the stability and flexibility you will need before you start moving.
Go with the speed you can manage without harming yourself and others. Our learning conditions are different, so find your own pace and accept that it will fluctuate during your learning journey. There will be ups and downs, and your learning curve will not be linear. That is totally normal and gives you a chance to (re-)focus, adjust and adapt.
Be prepared for the unexpected. Along your path of learning, unexpected things will happen – inside and outside. Dealing with the unexpected gives you the confidence to find solutions and have new ideas. Handling situations you have not anticipated, gives you the courage to step out of your comfort zone and to search for and find creative ways, which are very useful skills to have.
Laugh. Sometimes, learning something new can look extraordinary funny, which is a great opportunity to laugh about ourselves indulgently and with humour. It gives you the possibility to not care about your performance and style, to ignore the laughter of others (or, even better, laugh together with them) and to understand that looking funny is part of the game and the same for every learner – no matter where you are on your journey!
Forget your perfectionism. Very often, the left part of our brain is better trained than the right, meaning that the rationale is more dominant, whereas we are negligent of our intuition and creativity. We want to understand things, think them through, have a brilliant solution, want to be perfect and make things work immediately. However, we have all made the experience that it is especially the mistakes or, let´s say, all the ways which do not work, which teach us so much more. Mistakes always include a lesson and often lead you to something unexpected, which works even better for you than the “perfect” solution you have thought of before. In that sense, perfectionism is an illusion, so forget about it!
Accept your uniqueness. Don´t compare yourself to others – just learn from those who are already skilled in the field you want to pick up. Diversity is your chance to develop and grow. We are all different, we learn different, we have different strengths and talents, we like different things. And by being so different, we can have so much fun together, help and cheer up each other, learn from each other, complement and enrich each other. Embrace your unique greatness!
When you are tired, rest for a moment. There may be moments where you lose power or think you are never going to learn it. Give yourself a break to collect new energy and the things you have already learned the chance to sink in. And when you are ready, proceed on your way.
It is never too late and you are never too old. One of the basic needs of us human beings is to grow, and learning is an essential food for your brain, mind and soul. It does not only have a positive impact on your cognitive abilities but also on your mindset, which is so pivotal for your health and wellbeing. Thus, you better avoid fooling yourself with excuses like “I am too old” or “That´s too late”.
Try it out and start learning something new! It may be something to learn quickly like singing a song, reciting a poem or cooking a new dish – or something more ambitious like learning a new language or sport. Of course, I am curious to hear about your learning (or teaching) journeys, your insights, your excitement, your struggles, your joy and your pain!
Just contact me on LinkedIn, Instagram or at brigitte@bm-bluemountain.com.
Brigitte Münch, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Brigitte Münch is an expert in ethical digital transformation and coaches leaders, teams and companies through their requirements and challenges in our digital times. After more than 20 years in the IT industry, where she worked as legal consultant, negotiator, motivator, advisor, project lead, hamster wheel runner, trainer and mentor in various countries, she decided to combine her digital expertise with her passion for people. She now helps leaders and companies in our digitalized, technologized world to (re)discover their goals and values, talents and potentials and define their mission and vision to create a more inspiring working culture and change results to the better. "Start leading yourself and discover the immense power and potential inside of you, your employees and your company.
