Ronnie sat in the 7th Business masterclass she was attending that year listening to the facilitator teach her things that she felt she already knew. Her business had slowed down in the past year and she had been told to get new knowledge and get updated on the current goings-on in her industry. She had gone on a course-buying spree but was yet to see the results and she was beginning to wonder whether the idea of investing in continuous improvement was a good one.
Christine sat across the class from Ronnie and watched the play of emotions on her friend’s face. She knew exactly what was going to come after they left the class. She had literally dragged Ronnie to this class because she knew it would be good for her business, but she wasn’t sure anymore if that was a good idea.
The class ended at 6p.m and very surprisingly, Ronnie was quiet on the ride home. She seemed absorbed in her thoughts and Christine decided to ask her the big question since she was saying nothing.
“Ronnie, I hope the class wasn’t a waste of your time like you said all the other ones have been. I’ve actually been waiting for your rant since”, Christine said with a wink. It was best to start the conversation before the rant started.
“My dear, I just discovered today that I’ve been my own ‘village people’ and the biggest problem in my business. I know you have had my best interests at heart which is why you’ve been inviting me to these masterclasses and all but I haven’t had my own best interests at heart”, Ronnie said.
“As I sat in class today listening to these things that I already know, I realised that I have been learning without applying any of the new information I acquire. So, I just sit in these classes, listen, take notes and everything ends there. That is why I’ve been accusing them of scamming not knowing that I’ve been the one scamming myself by not executing or taking action. My biggest takeaway today is that I have to start taking action after every course or masterclass I buy”.
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Christine was pleasantly surprised at the new-found self-awareness that her friend was exhibiting, which was a departure from her usual ranting. She was about to reply but noticed that her friend still seemed to have something she wanted to say, so she kept listening.
“I attended an event over the weekend and I learnt something new. The speaker said that whenever things don’t go the way we expect, we need to ask ourselves how we contributed to the problem rather than simply blaming other people and leaving ourselves out. It made me seriously think about my life and how I usually somehow find a way to exonerate myself from issues. I have decided to start doing things differently and I’ll reassess myself after three months to see how much progress I’ve made. Will you please hold me accountable?”
It was a very shocked Christine that said Yes to holding her friend accountable and they drew up a schedule. They would meet twice a week in the first month and then weekly after 6 weeks to assess and adjust.
At the end of the first 6 weeks, Ronnie was over the moon with joy. She had consistently implemented the things she had learnt during the course of the year and she was loving the results. Her customers also noticed the difference and as a result, she got more orders which translated to an increase in revenue.
One of the things we are often encouraged to do is to commit to continuous learning. However, learning without implementation, execution or taking action results in no progress. It is said that it takes 60-90 days to form a new habit. So the next time you invest in learning something new, ensure that you draw up an action plan to follow through. Getting an accountability partner is also a great way to internalise new knowledge.
What do you intend to do differently after reading this story? Take action, you will be glad you did. Cheers.
