Over the past eight weeks, I’ve learned that what I consider strengths can also be viewed as weaknesses. I am deadline driven, I welcome accountability, and I’m not afraid to go searching for answers on my own. However, a deadline justifies procrastination, a need for accountability also points to a need for self-motivation, and Google searches for answers excludes different–and helpful–perspectives.
My first learning goal was help seeking and I became acutely aware of how important it is to step away from the search engine and ask another human. My own habits of finding information are grounded in a decade long history of library service. I became very adept at helping people find the information they were looking for by understanding how keywords and SEO works at the root level. While this is a skill I still very much utilize, it has become a crutch for my own introverted preferences for help seeking. Stepping outside of the comfort zone was a challenge, and I have plenty of room to grow.
My second learning goal was planning. I focused on setting daily micro-goals to help me accomplish LinkedIn Learning courses before the end of the semester and being okay with only completing half of a larger goal. The good: I met my deadline and completed all three courses. The bad: I did not stick to my 10-minutes-a-day plan. Instead, I procrastinated until the last week of class and crammed several hours worth of training into a few days.
This does help me understand more about how I operate. Learning is not an intentional habit for me. However, I think that’s okay. Having larger chunks of learning with time in between gives me the ability to digest the information and truly understand what I’m learning. Some might benefit from receiving small pieces of information consistently over time. But, I learn better when I can sit down for a few hours, really immerse myself in the content, and then take a break.
On a more personal note, I did notice the satisfaction of completing a midpoint goal. Previously, I aimed high, setting loftier goals with condensed plans that appeared realistic for someone with no personal life and a significant amount of dedication. When I failed to meet my goal, I held onto a lot of negative emotions. Moving forward, setting a midpoint goal gives me the confidence to know I will actually complete it, and the freedom to decide how to tackle the next set of goals.
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