We encounter zones on a daily basis: a tow away zone, the infamous friend zone, zone defense, Discovery Zone (a birthday party paradise for Millennials back in the day), time zones, etc. Zones provide necessary boundaries for public safety, orderliness, and effectiveness. It should be no different in our personal lives. Mastering these two specific personal zones could be the difference between your success and defeat.

The two zones that will help you achieve mega personal growth are your strength zone and comfort zone. To lessen your failure rate, and accelerate your success, you must find the right combination of these two zones. I recently heard a talk by leadership legend, John C. Maxwell, where he spoke about this topic. John provided the following recipe necessary for personal growth.

The 2 Zones Of Personal Growth

A) Outside your strength and comfort zone = bad, impossible to win.
B) Outside your strength but inside comfort zone = bad with a possibility of being average.
C) Inside your strength and comfort zone = good but not great.
D) Inside your strength zone but outside your comfort zone = great and continual winning.         

Identifying your strengths and then busting through your comfort level is the key to mega personal growth.

Steps to identify your strength zone:

1) Read Now, Discover Your Strengths.
2) Ask trusted confidants where they think your are strong.
3) Reflect on the tasks/projects where you excelled with ease and were affirmed for your talent.

Steps to busting through your comfort zone:

1) Identify your limiting self beliefs. What repetitive and long-standing processes or thoughts need changing? Ask yourself “What’s at stake if I do not push beyond?”
2) Lean into your strengths for increased confidence. 
3) Welcome failure. Continual success is a result of continual failing and learning. Failure is not the enemy, not trying is.

John C. Maxwell concluded his talk with the following inspiring analogy about personal success: “You are enrolled in a full-time, informal school called life. There are no mistakes only lessons as a result of trial and error and experimentation. The failed experiments are as much the process as those that work. A lesson will be presented in various forms, failing to learn the lesson is to be stuck and unable to move forward. Learning lessons never ends. If you are alive, you still have lessons to learn. You have all the resources. The choice is yours.”

Grow on.

Question: What keeps you in your comfort or strength zone?

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As humans, we make 100s if not 1,000s of decisions every day. Ranging from what to wear, what to eat, what to read, what to post, what to share, what to write, what to say, who to text, who to hire, who to fire, when to start, when to leave, and the list goes on. Your decision lists are as long as your days and by the end of the day your willpower is depleted and many times your most critical decisions have gone unaddressed.

We have to be careful in our decision making because studies show that we only have a set amount of daily willpower. When our willpower runs low it becomes excruciatingly hard to exercise self-control and execute effective decision making.

These 5 tips have worked wonders in my decision making ability as I run my business and have to constantly size up opportunities, assess challenges, and create content. Perhaps they can serve as catalysts for your professional or business growth. 

1) Quiet the left brain.
The left side of our brain is more logical, analytical, and objective. The left brain is the culprit that will give you 101 reasons why your decisions won’t work or aren’t right. Find ways to shut up the left brain by keeping it busy on tasks like driving, running, or cleaning (the more routine the better) then your right brain can finally chime in with some creative solutions to your decisions. I prefer to mute my left brain while on the treadmill or working out.

2) Be intentional.
Before you go through the process of quieting your left brain, make sure you decide which decisions you are going to mull over during that time. Choose 1-3 decisions (write them down or take a mental note) and commit to thinking through each decision while the left brain is in autopilot during the selected task. Keep a notepad or your smartphone handy to capture your thoughts and/or next steps. You’ll also be surprised how removing yourself from the laptop or office will make your thoughts flow more freely. I typically take decisions about client opportunities, new presentation topics, and blog ideas into the gym and am always super surprised how well this strategy works for me. Give it a whirl. 

3) Start early.
The morning is typically the time of the day where you will have the least interruptions and the most willpower since you are starting fresh. Leverage the fresh. Make a list of the decisions you have to execute on the night before. Then in the morning before opening email or anything else, review that decision list and execute. Making bigger decisions early will also help create solid momentum for the rest of the day. I perform all of my creative writing in the mornings starting at 5:30am. 

4) Predetermine the expected.
Predetermine your response to the decisions that you know you will make on a daily basis. In an effort to limit the amount of decisions they make, many of today’s top entrepreneurs and executives have limited their shoe and suit selections or have the same thing for lunch everyday. Eliminating the internal negotiations that come with “what should I wear” or “where should I go to eat” will free up more decision making bandwidth that you can allocate to the more critical decisions. I predetermine my workout and street clothes the day before. #NerdAlert

5) Leverage your unconscious. 
Our unconscious mind is hyper underutilized. So why not put it to work? Review the content surrounding your decision right before bed. Then as you drift to sleep your brain can begin to work on the information you just fed it. Don’t ask me how it works…it’s science. Warning to all you creatives: this could potentially back-fire and keep you up all night. But it’s worth it if you can mow thru your big decisions. I am still mastering this technique but I have definitely found my unconscious mind helpful in untangling some perplexing problems as I drift to sleep.

Question: What are your decision making best practices?

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If you wait until you have all the appropriate information, expertise, and time before you start something, you’ll lose. Wavering kills in today’s high flux market. So what’s an entrepreneur to do? Fake it till you make it. Duh.

A few weeks back, I was listening to a talk by the world’s foremost leadership expert, John C. Maxwell, and I was flabbergasted to hear John speak about the countless times throughout his career where he would convince people he was the right guy for the job but in his own mind he was absolutely clueless on how to execute the job. He said it was only after he got the job that he’d figure out how to do the job.

John C. Maxwell “faked it till he made it.”

A fellow presenter of mine at April’s Craze Conference was founder of Overture, Jared Matthew Weiss. He encouraged a roomful of entrepreneurs and leaders with: “What entrepreneur doesn’t make it up as they go?”

He was speaking from experience in “faking it till you make it.”

Author and speaker, Dan Miller, recently told a story of how during a pre-recorded radio interview he was asked if he had any material that would help women entrepreneurs overcome the excuses that hold them back, he told them he did (he didn’t) and where on his website they could find that material. After the recording of the interview, Dan went to work, completed the material and posted it on his website 1 hour before the interview went live.

Nothing but fake!

I too “fake it till I make it.” All the time. But let’s be honest, in today’s flux economy where none of us know what’s next, aren’t we all faking it?

Faking it is tough. It’s a twisted form of goal setting, like when you finally verbalize to your friends that your going to start a blog. Faking spurs accountability, urgency, and just-in-time learning (learning what you need, when you need it). All of which are needed traits that entrepreneurs and leaders need to have to overcome the unexpected obstacles of tomorrow.

The “faking it till you make it” strategy reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Tony Robbins: “The defining factor for success is never resources, but resourcefulness.” In an age where endless resources are at your fingertips, “faking it till you make it” has never been more feasible. So don’t be afraid to commit to the unknown. Allow the fear of the fake to be your growth catalyst.

It’s important you never lie about your abilities or credentials. But never shy away from opportunities, go with your gut. Be bold, remain confident in your potential and your resourcefulness to learn on the fly and produce high quality work that’s legendary.

Those committed to “faking it till they make it” will experience real wins.

Question: Where do you fake it to make it?

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Would you consider yourself digital literate? Do you have the ability to effectively and critically navigate, evaluate, and create information using a range of digital technologies such as computers, mobile devices, software, search, or web applications? Whether you do or you don’t, I think you would agree that our evolving digital culture requires evolved literacies. Look no further than the Millennials to see which new literacies might be required to give you the competitive edge you need to thrive tomorrow.

“The most successful Millennials thrive because they have a set of new literacies that amount to mastery of networking and troves of information — social and otherwise— that stream into their lives.” ~Paul Taylor, The Next America: Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown. (A very data heavy read but worth the time if your interested in the future trends of America.)

In this book, Paul highlights six intriguing Millennial literacies that are very telling of the times. Paul also includes the results of a recent survey that revealed consistent predictions about the most desired life skills for young people in 2020. I found it interesting that most of the “desired life skills” match the new Millennial literacies.

How can your team or organization leverage these new literacies for next generation growth? 

6 New Millennial Literacies

1) Navigation Literacy
Millennials have a sense of Internet geography that allows them to maneuver through multiple information channels and formats. They understand the changes that have occurred as information has become networked — by links, by continual editing, by algorithmic authority. 

2) Context and Connections Literacy
Millennials are able to weave together the information and chatter that is flowing into their lives at a quickening pace. Even if the tidbits they gather are disaggregated from any larger context, they have the wherewithal — often with help from their networks — to puzzle through the material they collect. 

3) Focus Literacy
Millennials have mastery over their own attention with the capacity to minimize distractions and complete what they need to do. Many Millennials have learned through trial and error when it is essential to be connected and when to disengage.

4) Multitasking Literacy
Despite Millennial’s focus, they also have the ability to do several things (almost) at once. With multiple inputs from family, friends, work, and institutions — and multiple in-person, Internet, and mobile sources provide these inputs — thriving networkers such as Millennials have gained the ability to attend to them without lots of fuss. 

5) Graphic Literacy
Millennials recognize that life is experienced as communications, media, and data on screens. They can interpret this material and feel comfortable contributing to it. 

6) Skepticism Literacy
The age of information overload required Millennials to acquire this skill. Bombared with ads since birth, Millennials have a highly tuned BS meter to evaluate what they encounter online. This means weeding out the media and people who have outdated, biased, incomplete and agenda-driven, or just dead wrong ideas to promote.

Most Desired Life Skills For Young People In 2020

• Public problem-solving through cooperative work. 
• Ability to search effectively for information online and to be able to discern the quality and veracity of the information one finds and then communicate these findings well. Synthesizing – being able to bring together details from many sources. 
• Being strategically future-minded.
• Ability to concentrate.
• Ability to distinguish between the “noise” and the message in the ever-growing sea of information. 

Question: Do you agree with these new Millennial literacies? Why or why not?

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Being well rounded is foolish. Being sharp is significant. Being good at many things means you are great at nothing. Culture rewards remarkable. People pay for extraordinary. Best get sharp.

On a recent episode of the Dave Ramsey Entreleadership Podcast, best-selling author Markus Buckingham said: “Leaders are sharp. The best leaders aren’t well rounded. However, the teams they create are well rounded.” Profound.

As soon as I heard that, I had the mental image of the above colored pencils. In this image lies the recipe for an extraordinary strengths-based team. Each pencil is sharp, has it’s unique color, and among other sharp pencils creates well-rounded unity.

1) Sharp Strengths
It seems difficult to get sharp because there is so much asked of us today. As we bounce from task to task and project to project our sharp edges become well rounded. And it doesn’t help that we grew up in a culture and a school system that rewards well-roundedness instead of laser-like sharpness. 

If you study leaders – the actual person and not leadership – than you’ll quickly discover they don’t have a perfect well rounded profile as a leader. They are exceptional in a few areas and have surrounded themselves with people that are strengthened where they are weak.

As humans we have an extremely high capacity to learn but we only get incrementally better in our weaknesses. However, strengths are a multiplier. We learn faster, have greater intuition, better judgement, higher sights, and our input is multiplied in our strength zone.

Strengths give you the advantage, an edge. Ask yourself “where are I marginally better than others?” You don’t have to be sharp or massively better at first because you can sharpen your edge. 

Find your edge and get sharpening. 

2) Uniqueness
Know what color you are not (aka weaknesses). A green pencil will never leave a blue mark. Find teams that lack the color you bring. The unique perspective, skill set, and assets only you possess. 

Find your genius and exploit it.

3) Association
Nothing great was ever achieved alone. It takes a team of sharp people to combat the ever-shifting demands of today. Iron sharpens iron. Sharp people keep others sharp. Communicate your unique sharpness to the team. And be wary of the people who are blind to your sharp strengths as they will draw you away from your edge.

Find your ace association and lean in. 

Just how good could you get? How high will you rise? How much impact will you have…when you optimize your strengths to get sharp, unlock your uniqueness, and find association alignment?

Question: How do you sharpen?

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Digitalization is driving the biggest economic change since the Industrial Revolution. And with any major culture shift comes the need to develop new skills.

You are now your own CIO (Chief Information Officer) and CLO (Chief Learning Officer) responsible for your own development. Collectively as a culture we will be forced to reinvent ourselves every 5 years. Here at the Next Generation Catalyst blog, we are committed to providing you with the relevant tools to make those changes and thrive tomorrow. The below infographic beautifully highlights the next generation of skills that are and will be required of us.

Related Read: What’s Your Hole? The 5 Phases Of Managing Change Successfully

“In the age of information, ignorance is a choice.” ~Donny Miller
“Education costs money. But then so does ignorance.” ~Sir Claus Moser

Source: Top10OnlineColleges.org

Question: What skills may be missing from this list?

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Mentorship is dead. Well, perhaps in the traditional sense. The traditional idea of mentorship has gotten fuzzy thanks to the rapid advancement of technology. We seem to be conditioned that older means wiser or always right…but does that still hold true today?

Retired four-star general Stanley McChrystal agrees that this legacy thinking of mentorship falls flat today. While leading during a time of crisis, Stanley was forced to adopt a new perspective of mentorship. He said it best in his TED talk… “It produced something which I call an inversion of expertise because we had so many changes at the lower levels in technology and tactics and whatnot that suddenly the things we grew up doing weren’t what the force was doing anymore. So how does a leader stay credible and legitimate when you haven’t done what the people you’re leading are doing? It’s a brand-new leadership challenge, and it forced me to become a lot more transparent, a lot more willing to listen, and a lot more willing to be reversed-mentored.”

Related Read: It’s A Shame For You Not To Shed Legacy Thinking 

Each generation brings with them strengths shaped by their unique circumstances. Today’s younger generations carry a very unique and high-demand skill set and knowledge that has not been possessed by previous generations at that age. Reverse mentoring is focused on getting help from someone younger who has more knowledge and experience in a particular area (technology, social media, etc.).

Reverse mentoring cemented it’s place in culture as more and more Millennials became what is often called the “Household CTO” as parents began consulting their children for guidance using computers, texting, and setting up a Facebook account.

A Reverse Mentoring Example

In the spring of 2012, Babson College kicked-off a five-week series of seminars that were developed and taught by students instead of faculty. Babson College was interested in offering courses that were more relevant to the real world because faculty didn’t have expertise in topics ranging from iPhone or iPad app development to the food truck industry. The college stresses the importance of achieving “cognitively ambidextrous” or “effortlessly bilingual” and with 96% of Babson graduates finding a job, it seems to be working.

Benefits of Reverse Mentoring

• Knowledge Transfer. Entering into cross generational relationships allows for specific knowledge and experience to be passed on to the younger generation.
• Increased Millennial Retention. Reverse mentoring provides the opportunity to contribute and have an impact that Millennials desire. 
• Compound Growth. Both parties get equally equipped. Millennials want insights that Google can’t give them. Non-Millennials will benefit by understanding what’s next.
• Fresh Perspectives. Young mentors can offer insights into their target market, help define a brand voice via social media, or provide advice on digital best practices.

Related Read: What Everybody Ought To Know…About The Myth Of Experience

How To Find A Millennial To Reverse Mentor

• Search LinkedIn for the relevant skills or industry you’re looking for mentorship in.
• Tap into a young professional association or employee group. 
• Contact the career center or faculty/staff at a local college or university.

Everybody has something to learn from somebody. Mentorship will never be the same and nor will you…should you choose to reverse.

Question: Have you committed to reverse mentoring? Why or why not?

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How awesome is it to check items off your to-do list? For most, it’s bliss. Now imagine if you could achieve the same thrill you get when checking off 2 items on your to-do list by only doing 1 of the tasks. Impossible? Think again. Below is the answer…the 1 stone for your 2 birds.

If you’re like me, your focus can snap in an instant with the ding of a new email or the vibrate of a new text or the temptation of a Jimmy Fallon YouTube video binge. But I’m like you and I value my time way too much to see it slip away so unintentionally. 

I’m also a recovering maximizer. I can’t go up the stairs in my home without first overflowing my arms with every single item that needs to go upstairs to eliminate a second trip. And I can’t go on just one errand, nooooo…I have to brainstorm other needs to justify the outing. 

When it comes to work I ask myself the same question: How can I maximize my time and limit distractions? The solution is batching. 

What Is Batching

Batching is a workflow technique where you dedicate blocks of time to execute similar tasks in order to increase focus and productivity. A simple example of batching is only checking your email for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. 

Related Read: 6 Email Hacks To Make You More Productive

I believe the term “batch processing” was originally used to describe computer systems where data would be collected before it was processed. The data would be queued until the computer was ready to process it all together. It’s the simple idea of collecting like tasks to process all at once instead of doing every trivial task as soon as it hits your inbox or to-do list.

Related Read: Are You Multitasking Your Way To Irrelevance?

How I Batch

I take batching a little further than time blocks by finding ways to also batch my outcomes. The key for me is identifying the unseen similarities in the tasks. By completing one task how can it get me closer to completing another task? 

For example, if I’m working on a new presentation for a client, I’ll group the major ideas and blog about them first so that I can compound my focus and create a blog post and presentation slides at the same time. Essentially killing 2 birds with 1 stone.

Ideas For Batching

1. Block off specific times to return texts or phone calls. 
2. Schedule calls back-to-back to minimize the focus fall-out between calls. 
3. Process email at designated times. By the way…you will get less email if you stop sending so many emails. 
4. Schedule meetings on the same day. Pick a location and have folks come to you. (I have yet to fully commit to this strategy…but soon enough.) 
5. Turn your research project into a Toastmaster speech or company presentation.
6. Create or buy images that can be used for blog posts and in presentations or for marketing. 
7. Listen to audio books or podcasts while working out.
8. Batch time with family and friends. Sounds awkward but there’s no better way to ensure your 100% present with them.

Your best work is defined by how smart you work. Your clients, work, and passions deserve your extreme focus.
Batch up.

Question: What tasks can you batch today?

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Recently, the good folks at Firmology (the media company that helps small business owners grow their business through technology and innovation) asked me to share my success story and the below is what I shared. (See the extended Firmology post here.)

Success Catalyst #1: Input
“A mind once stretched never regains its original dimensions.” ~Oliver Holmes 

At an early age, my older brother and parents cultivated within me a habit of reading. To this day my creative output suffers if my daily input of content is limited. Books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, Now Discover Your Strengths, Put Your Dream To The Test, and Crush It were instrumental in my growth as an entrepreneur. And daily listening to other entrepreneur’s stories via podcasts like Smart Passive Income, Entrepreneur On Fire, and EntreLeadership gave me the confidence to push through my inner resistance and launch my business.

Success Catalyst #2: Reflection
“Experience is not the best teacher, evaluated experience is the best teacher.” ~John C. Maxwell

After an extra infuriating and stressful day at work, I sat down at my desk in my Atlanta apartment and I reflected on specific times in my life where I received affirmation for a specific task or talent. It was a simple exercise to develop an escape plan from my current work environment. Within minutes, two events stuck out: my brother’s wedding and the high school hockey team my father coached. Affirmations rained after I delivered the best man speech at my brother’s wedding. And my father’s hockey team won the Colorado state championship after I delivered motivational pep talks to the team prior to each playoff game. (Dad, you only get a sliver of credit for the wins.) The common thread of affirmation was clear…speaking. My calling had been in plain sight the whole time, but it took intentional reflection to identify it. 

Success Catalyst #3: Application
“Those who say it can’t be done are usually interrupted by others doing it.” ~James A. Baldwin

After reflecting and identifying, it was time for application. I ramped up my input by reading any book on the topic of public speaking, watched countless TED talks, and began exploring opportunities to speak live. A good friend recommended Toastmasters and after attending 5 different clubs I settled on the club that intimated me the most. I blew through my first 10 speeches learning a ton and continued to gain further affirmation. I’m forever indebted to Toastmasters International and the incredible friends I still have at the club.

Success Catalyst #4: Failure
“The only guarantee for failure is to stop trying.” ~John C. Maxwell

After 2 years of honing my speaking skills, it was time to share my passion with the world. So I started a video blog called The Get Intentional Movement (http://thegetintentionalmovement.tumblr.com) where I talked (indirectly and non-maliciously) about all the frustrations and poor leadership that I was experiencing at my current job. Topics also included my thoughts and ideas surrounding social media, technology, and productivity. It’s now cringe worthy to watch any of the 63 videos, but it’s where I had to start. These videos helped me hone the craft of creating content. And now content marketing is my primary marketing tool. True failure is not trying. 

51 video episodes, 2 viewers (my wife and mom), and 1 ugly website later…I had failed my way to the breakthrough niche I was looking for. All of my research and reflection was pointing to the unique culture shifts caused by the 80 million technology-equipped and Internet-enabled Millennial generation. This topic grabbed my heart and focus so I yet again ramped up my input reading 20+ books on the topic and interviewing 100s of Millennials. I was passionate to turn my current burden into someone else’s transformation. It was on this new passion and vision that I built Next Generation Catalyst where we equip leaders with the next generation tools, trends, and talent to thrive in tomorrow’s multi-generational marketplace.

Soon I had some good (at least I thought so at the time) material for a 1 hour presentation. So I packaged the content into a presentation and asked local Atlanta Rotary clubs if I could come speak for free. I did and it was terrible. My content was so weak and poorly structured. But again, it was a start. After countless revisions and numerous Rotary talks, I finally got a lead that led to my first of many paid speaking opportunities.

Success Catalyst #5: Association
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” ~Jim Rohn

If I was going to be a professional speaker, I needed to hang with professional speakers. Shortly after my first few paid speaking gigs, I joined the Georgia chapter of the National Speakers Association. It was within this extraordinary organization that I met the most humble and selfless people that were willing to help me. I quickly began understanding and applying the nuts and bolts of building a speaking business. 

Success Catalyst #6: Persistence
“There is an anchor in the speaking (or any) business that drags along the bottom and impedes your progress. This anchor is called ‘early success.’” ~Alan Weiss

Every inch of my entrepreneurial climb had to be fit into the cracks of life, carefully crafted around my full-time job. But that’s the luxury of today’s connected culture. Entrepreneurs can build a business on the side with greater ease than ever before. My persistence over the years producing keynote speeches, two blog posts per week and 1 podcast episode every month while juggling a full-time job…paid off. The persistence paid (and still pays) off in solidifying my conviction and credibility as a thought leader in the speaking industry. 

Success Catalyst #7: Gratitude
“Be driven by gratitude.” ~Gary Vaynerchuk

I’m proof that side hustle in your strength zone can lead to big results but nothing great is ever achieved alone. I’m continual grateful for my (online and offline) audiences’ time, attention, and feedback. My friends and mentors who encouraged me along the way. My parents for their countless sacrifices, love, and allowing me to explore my passions. And my incredible wife, Ashley, for her patience, unwavering belief, and endless support. 

I’ll leave you with my favorite definition of success: “Success means having those closest to you love and respect you the most.” ~John C. Maxwell.
Respect comes from pursuing your passion. Love comes from selflessly serving others.

Pursue and serve on friend.

Question: What are your success catalysts?

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If scanning articles was an Olympic sport, I’d be a gold medalist. In my world (and I bet yours as well) articles and information are shared as often and freely as the latest viral cat videos. My only defense against the content overflow is to consume it while on the go.

My default these days is to scan. I typically scroll through an entire article just to decide if it’s worth scanning. If I don’t see video, headings, subheadings, lists, and/or bold items, I am likely to not read. If only someone could read the articles to me? Oh wait…there’s an app for that. 

Zig Ziglar once recommended turning your car into a “rolling university” by listening to cassettes and CDs. Today, technology has allowed us to take that one-step further and turn our life into an always-on learning lab.

12 Effective Ways To Consume Content On The Go

Books. Books remain a primary consumption tool that provide great depth into a single subject.

1) Always have a book with you (digital or not) so that you can consume and learn in the cracks of your day (doctor’s office, kid’s soccer practice, auto-shop, etc.).

2) Leverage the Apple iBooks app or Kindle app on every device and make available at your fingertips the largest collection of books and ebooks ever assembled. 

3) Audible allows you to enjoy listening to more than 150,000 digital audiobooks on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop.

Related Read: 5 Books That Were My Personal Development Catalysts. Which Have You Read?

Podcasts. Podcasts have quickly become one of my favorite ways to leisurely learn and grow. They offer extensive amounts of content and are not as in-depth as a book but often are not as current as the news or blogs.

4) Stitcher app has over 25,000+ podcasts, radio shows, and live radio stations available for free on Android and iOS.

5) Downcast is a “very cool ($2.99) podcatcher for iOS and Mac.” I used to recommend the Downcast app until it kept crashing on me. I recently switched to Apple’s Podcast app and haven’t looked back.

6) Podcasts by Apple is the free, built-in app for iPhone and iPad iOS 7 and above users.
7) iTunes U (not really a podcast) is the world’s largest digital catalog of free education content providing you access to complete courses from leading universities.

Video. Video is one of the best ways to consume current content. Viewing the news, YouTube, or MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are all great forms of content consumption but most of the time they require both an audio and visual commitment which can limit when and where you consume the content.

8) Coursera is one of the most diverse online mobile education platforms available. Coursera offers 100s of courses provided by 100s of universities and institutions across the globe in topics ranging from physics to business management to computer science.

9) The official TED app has 1,700 videos (with more added every week). Pick a topic you are curious about and get viewing. Don’t forget about the “Surprise Me” feature to get served unexpected, awe-inspiring content.

10) Podcasts offer episodes in a video format. Use the resources listed under “Podcasts” above to search for video podcasts.

Articles. Listening to online articles is a convenient, customizable, and current way to consume content. It’s like podcasting your news and blogs on the go. 

11) Umano is the world’s largest collection of free audio articles narrated by real people. Umano features news, stories, and ideas from some of today’s biggest sources like Mashable, FastCompany, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and CNET. Umano serves up article recommendations based on your listening history and allows you to customize channels and playlists. I enjoy firing up Umano while making lunch, brushing my teeth, or getting dressed.

12) SoundGecko enables users to listen to news, websites, and documents. Send articles to SoundGecko with 1 click while you surf the web for later listening on a mobile device. It’s free for 30 articles per day (4,000 word limit per article). SoundGecko also allows users to upload PDF documents to have your journal articles, reports, and research papers read to you. And you can set up your RSS feeds of your favorite websites to be converted to audio and sent to your mobile or email.

Question: How do you prefer to consume content on the go?

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Last Thursday on Oct 23, 2014 the Next Generation Catalyst blog turned 2 years old and is celebrating it’s 200th blog post! As any blogger or creative will tell you, it’s tough work to consistently create thanks to the daily battle we rage against our own limiting beliefs.

For every blog post of the 200, I have had to draw my sword and shield in order to slay the inner dragons of doubt and procrastination. I can always count on fear to rear it’s deceiving head every…single…time I sit down to write. 

But I have learned to dance with my fear. To lean into it. I now allow it to serve as my guide for transformative growth. I now understand that my limiting beliefs, the negative voices in my head, and the naysayers are the same of any other blogger or entrepreneur.

Related Read: 5 Reasons To Start Blogging In 2014 And How To Start

Below are 4 of the limiting beliefs I wrestled with (and still do) as I launched my blog. Gain the courage to launch your blog by shattering these 4 excuses.

1) I don’t have time.
Good, because it’s typically busy people who can prioritize effectively to get stuff done. I wrote in a recent blog post about the power of batching which is a workflow technique where you dedicate blocks of time to execute similar tasks in order to increase focus and productivity. What upcoming projects, industry trends, or skills are you interested in learning about and how could you create a blog to catalog your progress, knowledge, and/or passion?

Decide fast that you are going to start blogging, but journey slow and deliberately. Speed isn’t important but forward progress on a clear path is. And don’t forget to harness the productive power and serenity of the early morning. Waking up 20 minutes earlier is a solid start.

2) No one wants to hear what I have to say.
Perfect, anonymity is a gift when you first start out. Would you want the whole world listening if you picked up a guitar for the first time? Didn’t think so. Use the obscurity as cover to develop your voice and strengthen your content. 

We rob the world when we decide to play small. Be bold and big. Don’t be selfish with your unique experiences, share them with the people searching for your knowledge, expertise, and passion. The world needs your unique reality and you are the only one who can deliver it.

3) I don’t know what to blog about.
Great, start there. Begin blogging about your journey of discovering what to blog about. Expect to pivot and rebrand your blog multiple times. My first vlog (video blog) lasted over a year before I developed Next Generation Catalyst and I fully anticipate rebranding again down the road. That’s the name of the game today.

Once you’ve committed to consistent blogging, you’ll be surprised what aspects of your life and learnings will become “blog-able.” The best way to get somewhere is to start. Point yourself in the direction of your goal and take one step.

4) I don’t know how to launch a blog.
That’s fine, because someone else has already demonstrated how to do it for you. Use this step by step screencast to launch a WordPress blog, or visit Ghost where blogging is as easy as starting a Facebook account, or refer to a previous post where I describe how to use LinkedIn Publishing as a blogging tool. Technology has gotten a lot easier since you’ve been ignoring it. Stop ignoring.

The world of blogging has never offered more leverage to more people than today. What are you waiting for? Stare fear in the eye, refuse to blink, and…start.

Related Read: Top 10 Things I’ve Learned After 50 Blog Posts

Question: What other limiting beliefs are holding you back from starting a blog?

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Good or bad, new or old, productive or unproductive, we all have them…habits. Whether you’re an entrepreneur working on your business or an intrapreneur that behaves like an entrepreneur while working within a larger organization, you can benefit from Kate Erickson’s list of essential entrepreneurship habits.

Kate is the Content Creator and Community Manager for EntrepreneurOnFire, the 2013 Best of iTunes podcast that interviews the most successful and inspiring entrepreneurs 7 days a week. 

1. Don’t keep your email tab open all the time (or your cell phone volume on)
Distractions will undoubtedly hold you back, and both email and cell phones are perhaps the most distracting things in today’s social-centric culture. Have you ever thought to yourself “Oh yeah, let me just check real fast and see if that email came through…”, and then 30 minutes later you’re still in your email?

I urge you to practice putting aside specific times during your day when you will check email and/or your phone. Having them open/on and right next to you presents way too big of a temptation.

Remove the temptation, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to forget about them once you’re focused on the task at hand.

2. Prepare for the week ahead (or day, if you prefer)
Waking up in the morning and asking yourself, “What should I accomplish today?” probably isn’t the most productive (or efficient) way to start your day. Asking this question inevitably leads to you wondering if a, b, or c should be first on your list, which is in-and-of-itself wasting time.

Imagine if at the beginning of the week (or even each night before you “shut down”) you plotted out the things you wanted to accomplish. Not just a list, but priorities and timelines included.

I can guarantee that if you plan out your schedule you will get a lot more done in a lot less time than if you leave it up to asking yourself, “What should I work on next?”

3. Celebrate the little successes
Too often we get wrapped up in the craziness of it all, and we forget to celebrate the little successes that we have each week, each month, each quarter and each year. I say “little successes” because the big ones might be harder to come by, and that’s what makes it tough to be an entrepreneur.

By making it a habit to celebrate the little successes, you’re allowing yourself to recognize progress, which is key for continued growth, motivation and inspiration. You’re only making it more difficult on yourself if you never acknowledge that you ARE making progress and that you ARE doing things right.

Enjoy your journey.

4. Don’t stress the small stuff
As easy as it is to think that our lives and our businesses are the be-all end-all of the world, we/they really aren’t. It’s just a fact.

If you’re going to be a successful entrepreneur, then you HAVE to be able to accept that you aren’t going to be able to figure everything out exactly when you want to. It’s stressful – we all know it. But remind yourself that we’re not (necessarily) here to save the world, and humans make mistakes.

Everything will be okay.

5. Throw fear (and frustration) to the wind
Two of the biggest road blocks in the life of an entrepreneur. Get rid of them! Practice telling yourself that it’s not that scary when fear comes knocking.

Practice reminding yourself that frustration is only playing a game with you, and it wants to win real bad.

These are both things you can overcome if you make it a habit to refuse to let in.

6. Get out of the house/office
It’s easy to get caught up, but taking a break is absolutely necessary. It could be a walk, jog, trip to the grocery store or out for a beer. Your mind can only process a certain amount of stuff before the output is just simply not quality. Stop spinning your wheels.

We are absolutely superheros, but even superheros need breaks.

7. Ask for help
You don’t have all the answers, and that’s a GOOD THING. But, there are other people out there who do have an answer and who can help you move on to the next thing.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to those you know and ask for help. You’re an entrepreneur in a specific niche for a reason – you’re not supposed to know everything, so stop acting like you do!

See? It’s not rocket science. Practicing these simple habits can and will help you become more motivated, dedicated, passionate and focused in your business, and therefore propel you forward.

Already practicing these 7?
If you’re looking for a couple of bonus habits, then you’re in the right place. I could go on forever.

Bonus #1: FOCUS on the task at hand
FOCUS – you know John and I both love this word, and it’s for good reason. Without focus, it’s quite possible we’ll never be taking a step forward, and being able to start and complete something – whether it be a huge project or a simple task – is integral to our success.

Next time you find yourself getting distracted, remind yourself that FOCUS is key: Follow One Course Until Success.

Bonus #2: Exercise!
It not only makes you feel great, but it also helps you perform better in every other area of your life. Get your energy up with the help of a run, a yoga session or an Insanity workout and watch your productivity and happiness rise up right along with it. No joke – on the days when I work out, I not only get more done, but overall, I just feel better.

Question: What are your best habits as an entrepreneur or intrapreneur?

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This article originally appeared on EntrepreneurOnFire.com and has been republished with permission.

What’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and harder to kick than a bad habit? Resistance. The tension you feel when faced with the decision to pursue your life’s work or to maintain the status quo.

Did you know Hitler wanted to be an artist? At 18 he took his inheritance, 700 kronen, and moved to Vienna to live and study. He applied to the Academy of Fine Arts and later to the School of Architecture. Have you ever seen one of Hitler’s paintings? Neither have I. Resistance beat him. It seems it was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square of canvas.

Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance writes Steven Pressfield in his powerful book, The War of Art: Break Through The Blocks And Win Your Inner Creative Battle. Pressfield holds no punches as he highlights Resistance as the enemy of creativity and illustrates how to combat your inner Resistance.

I’m fascinated with the idea of Resistance because as the old saying goes, “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” Resistance is a familiar foe in my work. So for me, The War of Art serves as a stark reminder of the power Resistance’s has to disfigure my life. Below is what Pressfield teaches about Resistance and how to overcome it.  

Just as Resistance has its seat in hell, so Creation has its home in heaven. Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.

WHAT IS RESISTANCE

Resistance by definition is self-sabotage. Resistance reveals itself in our lives in many forms including: procrastination (the most common manifestation), rationalization, cruelty to others, willing endurance of cruelty from others, chaos/disorder, drama, and grandiose fantasies.

Resistance is experienced as fear; the degree of fear equates to the strength of Resistance. Therefore the more fear we feel about a specific enterprise, the more certain we can be that that enterprise is important to us and to the growth of our soul. That’s why we feel so much Resistance. If it meant nothing to us, there’d be no Resistance.

WHAT RESISTANCE DOES

The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it. Resistance knows that the more psychic energy we expend dredging and re-dredging the tired, boring injustices of our personal lives, the less juice we have to do our work.

Resistance outwits the amateur with the oldest trick in the book: It uses his/her own enthusiasm against them. Resistance gets us to plunge into a project with an overambitious and unrealistic timetable for its completion. It knows we can’t sustain that level of intensity. We will hit the wall. We will crash.

The danger is greatest when the finish line is in sight. At this point, Resistance knows we’re about to beat it. It hits the panic button. It marshals one last assault and slams us with everything it’s got.  

Related Read: 4 Ways To Slay Your Inner Resistance And Launch Your Project

HOW TO BEAT RESISTANCE

The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He knows there is no such thing as a fearless warrior or a dread-free artist. 

The professional conducts his business in the real world. Adversity, injustice, bad hops and rotten calls, even good breaks and lucky bounces all comprise the ground over which the campaign must be waged. The field is level, the professional understands, only in heaven. To the amateur, the game is his avocation. To the professional it’s his vocation.

There’s no mystery to turning pro. It’s a decision brought about by an act of will. We make up our mind to view ourselves as pros and we do it. Simple as that.

Never forget: This very moment, we can change our lives. There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are without the power to alter our destiny. This second, we can turn the tables on Resistance. This second, we can sit down and do our work. Give it all today and be back tomorrow.

Question: How do you overcome Resistance?

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These days it seems like everyone wants to learn to code–or is telling you that you should; and as a marketer it’s becoming increasingly important to have at the very least a basic understanding of how the Internet works. And why shouldn’t you? In today’s tech-centric job market it’s incredibly likely that you’ll be working to shape and promote some kind of digital product–whether it’s a website or a mobile application.

Sure, you may never write full software programs (and the last thing the world needs is more bad code), but this doesn’t mean that you should ignore such a critical skillset. From search engine optimization, to email, to landing pages–every facet of digital marketing is powered by code, and understanding what’s going on behind the scenes will give you the insight necessary to make informed and strategic marketing decisions. Here are just a few reasons marketers should learn some basic code.

1. Communicate Effectively Within Multidisciplinary Teams

As a marketer, it’s likely that you’ll be working closely with designers and developers to make website enhancements or launch digital campaigns. Understanding the technical limitations (or advantages) behind your requests will enable you to properly scope the project, create more detailed specifications, and communicate these effectively with your team.

If you understand basic code, you will have a better understanding of what goes into each task, and can budget your time and resources accordingly. Also, being able to have informed conversations with your tech savvy teammates will save everyone time, money, and perhaps a few headaches.

2. Take Care of Quick Fixes

On the other hand, designers and developers are busy people– and while you should certainly leave specialized tasks to those who know how to do them right, wouldn’t it be useful if you could make simple changes or fixes on your own?

Having a working knowledge of front-end development languages like HTML and CSS will enable you to build and customize your own email templates and landing pages without the help of a developer. Want to change the color of a CTA button? Should the email capture be moved an inch to the right? That’s done by code, and learning the basics is not as scary as you might think.

3. Make Informed Decisions About Outside Vendors

If you don’t know what’s involved in a process, you’re most likely not getting the most out of your time and budget. This is certainly true when working with outside vendors or consultants to enhance your website or power your marketing campaigns (email clients, refer-a-friend programs, exit popups, etc.). In order to effectively coordinate with their team and your own developers, it’s immensely helpful if you are well-versed in the technology. This will allow you determine if the product is aligned with your specific needs and technical requirements, choosing the one that will have the highest impact within your budget.

In the end, you don’t need to be a full-stack developer to be a great marketer; but having a basic understanding of how the Internet works, including how websites and other digital products are built, will make you more versatile and valuable as you develop your career.

Question: Would you consider learning code? Why or why not?

This article originally appeared on FirstJob.com by Emily Pope (Content Marketing Producer at General Assembly) and has been republished with permission. Need help setting up a program that includes interns in your workforce? Contact FirstJob.com to get you started in this area.

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This interview original appeared on Entrepreneur On Fire.

True or false? The marketplace has gotten more competitive and fast-paced than it was just 10 years ago. I think we would all agree with that statement. Look no further than Uber to get a sense of how rapid an industry can be disrupted. So what type of mentality is best suited for entrepreneurs and leaders to thrive forward?

In 1996, I got a glimpse of the mentality that I believe can best serve entrepreneurs and leaders in their quest to propel their business and teams forward. The mentality was modeled by a gritty, long-haired, tooth-less hockey player by the name of Mike Ricci.

Mike played for the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. At times it was easy to overlook Mike’s talent and contributions but there is no question he was instrumental in the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup in 1996. He was my hero as a Colorado kid.

Related Read: The Inevitable Entrepreneurship Evolution, How Millennials And Generation Z Will Demand A New Kind Of Leadership

Mike oozed passion on the ice, often jumping up and down after scoring a goal. He was willing to fight (literally) for the win and for his teammates. Mike made his own luck on the ice. He finished every check. And made every shift count. Mike skated into hockey history not by talent or experience but rather by his tenacious ability to make plays happen. See some of Mike’s highlights here.

The best word to describe Mike, and the word that best describes today’s essential entrepreneurial mentality is…scrappy. In the world of competitive ice hockey, being described as “scrappy” was a badge of honor. 

Leaders and entrepreneurs who are scrappy…

• Hustle no matter the odds, playing thru every whistle.
• Make do with what they got, relentlessly resourceful.
• Never play victim, they play because it’s a privilege.
• Create their own luck from fierce discipline.
• Finish strong, hanging in no matter what.
• Only pick their head up, to stare down their opponent.
• Show up everyday to play, no matter the circumstances. 
• Silence fear by refusing to stay down.
• Never stop improving, always mastering their craft.
• Execute despite perfect timing, knowledge, or skill set.
• Hunger to be a game changer.

With competitors now able to appear out of thin air, the evolving landscape of work and technology, new skill sets emerging, and a new generation of highly educated workers crowding the talent pool…it’s high time to get scrappy. Fight fiercely to stay sharp, remain relevant, forge new opportunities, and run down your dream.

Related Read: 7 Habits Every Entrepreneur Should Have [Guest Post]

In true scrappy fashion, Mike Ricci concluded his NHL career with the San Jose Sharks by setting a franchise record for most consecutive games played.

Strong finish.

Question: How have you seen scrappy-ness play out at work?

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This post is in memory of a phrase you and I have said or thought many times before. This phrase has existed since the beginning of humanity. But recently it has been dying a slow and painful death. And today, the Internet has finally killed the phrase.

The phrase had a quiet and poorly attended funeral because many people still stubbornly refuse to believe the phrase is dead. They still want to use the phrase as their crutch, as an excuse, a scapegoat for ignorance. 

The phrase that’s been slain is “I don’t know how to do that.”

I was recently reminded when this phrase was relevant while watching the new Disney movie, McFarland USA. It’s the inspiring true story about the 1987 Mexican-American cross country team from McFarland, CA (spoiler alert) who won a state championship.

In the movie, the ex-football coach, Jim White, receives approval to create the school’s first cross country team despite White not knowing how to coach the sport. White had never run cross country, never coached it, and didn’t know any other cross country coaches. He had zero knowledge and experience.

In order to better understand the sport of cross country, White conducted research via perusing libraries, calling other schools, digging into paper-stuffed archives, reading physical books, watching VHS tapes, and he learned from the failure of his actions. The learning curve for coach White was extremely steep and time-consuming in 1987.

Contrast that with today and White could have Googled the latest cross country records and regulations, searched YouTube for the techniques to coach and drills to run, and used social media to help recruit talent. White’s learning would have taken a fraction of the time it did in 1987.

The Internet has assassinated the phrase “I don’t know how to do that.” The Internet offers endless resources and tools to learn just about anything. Success and development is now about will and focus.

The next generation of great leaders, employees, and entrepreneurs will be those committed to adaptive learning. Their greatest asset will be their willingness to continuously learn in order to upgrade their talents and hone new skills.

Related Read: 5 Reasons Now Is The Best Time To Become An Entrepreneur

Now that the excuse of “I don’t know how to do that” is forever off the table, people’s stubbornness and laziness will be exposed faster than ever before. Don’t be that person.

• Don’t know how to build a website? Google it.
• Don’t know how to use Twitter? Start using it.
• Don’t know how to code? Take an online course.
• Don’t know how to use some new video conferencing software? YouTube it.
• Don’t know how to market online? Listen to a podcast.
• Don’t know how to recruit Millennials? Follow a blog.
• Don’t know how Facebook marketing works? Join a webinar.

Adaptive learning in today’s perpetual beta work culture is invaluable.
Rest in peace “I don’t know how to do that.” 

Question: What is one thing you’ve always wanted to learn?

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When Gartner shared its top tech trends for 2015, we learned that the number of Chief Digital Officer and Chief Data Officer roles have doubled since last year – and are expected to double again. As one might imagine, this will rock the c-suite’s world.

1. 75% of IT execs say they need to change their leadership style within the next three years.
2. By 2017, 50% of total IT spending will occur outside of IT.
3. Also by 2017, 70% of successful business models will be deliberately unstable.

In short: Silo-ed roles are out, blended skills are in. As more businesses use data to scale, employees must be agile enough to switch tactics on a dime. Gartner says, “This holistic approach blending business model, processes, technology and people will fuel digital business success.”

Rajeeb Dey agrees. He’s the founder/CEO of Enternships, a London-based startup that connects students and recent grads to roles in small businesses. As the digital economy explodes, senior leaders need millennials to teach them the ropes of new, uncharted roles. The same holds true for startup CEOs.

“We are definitely seeing a rise in employers interested in data science and general data analysis skills, whether that be for specialist data scientist roles or roles such as growth hacking, which combine skills from both marketing and the ability to analyze and manipulate data,” Dey told GA.

“We at Enternships are also predicting that 2015 will see the rise in demand for talent proficient with next gen technologies such as Meteor, which is based on real-time JavaScript frameworks and facilitates the development of web apps far more easily than existing solutions.”

Let’s unpack these roles in more detail:

1. Data Science

What it is: According to Harvard Business Review, a data scientist is “a high-ranking professional with the training and curiosity to make discoveries in the world of big data.” How do you know if your business needs one? HBR continues:

“If your organization stores multiple petabytes of data, if the information most critical to your business resides in forms other than rows and columns of numbers, or if answering your biggest question would involve a ‘mashup’ of several analytical efforts, you’ve got a big data opportunity.”

Where it’s From: The Data Scientist title – coined by D.J. Patil and Jeff Hammerbacher – is only six years old. Patil and Hammerbacher formed the first formal data science programs while at LinkedIn and Facebook, respectively. Today, Patil is Data Scientist in Residence at Greylock Partners, one of the world’s most successful VC firms. Hammerbacher is Founder and Chief Scientist at Cloudera.

Skills of the Successful: Data scientists can view a wide range of data, present a hypothesis, and execute in such a way that their analysis fills a business gap.

Role Model: While at LinkedIn, Jonathan Goldman reviewed company data and saw untapped opportunity. What would happen, he asked, if he used analytics to link user profiles? Despite discouragement from colleagues, he forged on – and his idea became LinkedIn’s “People You May Know” feature. Today, he’s Intuit’s Director of Data Science and Analytics.

2. Growth Hacking

What it is: “A hybrid of marketer and coder” that helps acquire customers at scale, while keeping the cost of each new customer as close to 0 as possible.

Where it’s From: Sean Ellis coined the term in 2010. He led marketing at Dropbox for six months after the end of their private beta. As of 2014, one billion files are saved to Dropbox every 24 hours, and the company was valued in January at $10 billion.

Skills of the Successful: “I believe the people who excel as growth hackers are entrepreneurial marketers with a passion for data,” explains Howard Kingston, co-founder of Adludio and Digital Marketing instructor at GA London. “This is because you need to be constantly looking for a new opportunity, and not be afraid to try new things – just like an entrepreneur!”

Role Model: Before Adludio, Kingston served as Head of Gaming at We R Interactive, a social gaming startup. He reviewed which countries were increasing free users vs. those where the user base was smaller, but spent more on in-app purchases. His analysis grew the game to six million users in his first year on the job. Like data science, Kingston says the marriage of marketing with analytics is key – and adds that the most successful growth hackers have direct access to the product that they work with.

“Growth hacking suffered a bit of a backlash as an overused buzz term in 2014, mainly due to people using it incorrectly,” Kingston says. “As more people understand it, I believe more people will challenge those who are using it incorrectly!”

3. Meteor.js

What it is: An open-sourced framework to build real-time web and mobile apps in pure JavaScript. Meteor is built on top of Node.JS and bundled with MongoDB. This means that if you’re building an app with Meteor, you can do so using one framework. The same code runs on both client and server, producing real-time web apps for a fraction of the code.

Where it’s From: Meteor first launched as Skybreak in 2011. It was part of the same Y Combinator that launched Dropbox, and raised $11.2 million in 2012. That same year, Meteor gained bragging rights as Github’s most starred repository.

Skills of the Successful: Those who can code should add Meteor to their repertoire. It’s regularly cited as the fastest way to build new apps. It’s also one of the first frameworks to encompass the functionality of the entire MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express, Angular, and Node.JS). Plus, JavaScript is used by beginners and experts alike. If you’ve never written a line of code, you can still learn Meteor and build the next big platform.

Role Model: Meteor co-founder Matt DeBergalis was inspired by the “thick client” architecture used by some of the world’s most successful web apps. “This…is how modern apps like Gmail, Asana, Twitter, and the photo browser in Facebook are built,” he explained to IBM. “But those apps were written by large teams of expert developers, who each invested years of development into the technical underpinnings of client-side web apps.

“Meteor is a complete platform for writing apps in this style,” DeBergalis added. “Because it uses a single language and a consistent API across all parts of an application, developers can juggle fewer technologies and work faster. That’s why developers who know Meteor can build applications in hours that would otherwise take weeks.”

Question: What other skills do you expect to be critical in 2015 and beyond?

This article originally appeared on FirstJob.com and has been republished with permission. Locate top-talent Millennials for your mentoring program at FirstJob.com.

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The joy is in the mastering, not in being a master. Ron Shaich, the CEO of Panera Bread, believes, “If you are learning, you’ll never need to recharge.” Leverage learning as fuel to attack today’s steep and ceaseless learning curves. May these quotes serve as a consistent reminder to us all that we must always prioritize a life of learning.

1. The greatest enemy of learning is knowing. ~John Maxwell
2. If we become increasingly humble about how little we know, we may be more eager to search. ~Sir Ian Templeton
3. I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. ~Louisa May Alcott
4. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. ~Mahatma Gandhi
5. Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier. ~Charles Kettering
   
   Related Read: What Everybody Ought To Know About The Myth Of Experience

6. You grow on the fringes where comfort meets discomfort. ~Dan Rockwell
7. It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. ~John Wooden
8. It is better to travel well than to arrive. ~Buddha
9. The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ~Alvin Toffler
10. Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action. ~Jim Rohn
11. Shall I tell you a secret of a true scholar? It is this: every man I meet is my master in some point and in that I learn from him. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
12. I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious. ~Albert Einstein
13. Anyone who isn’t embarrassed by who they were last year probably isn’t learning enough. ~Alain de Botton
    
    Related Read: The Mindset Required To Remain Relevant In Today’s Fast World

14. The person who knows HOW will always have a job; the person who knows WHY will always be the boss. ~John Maxwell
15. In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. ~Eric Hoffer
16. Stay hungry; stay foolish. ~Steve Jobs
17. In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety. ~Abraham Maslow
18. The world is a university and everyone in it is a teacher. Make sure when you wake up in the morning you go to school. ~Bishop T.D. Jakes

Question: How have you embraced a mindset of continuous learning?

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When is not knowing more valuable than knowing? When does experience become a burden? Why are you often at your best when you are new to an undertaking, doing something for the first time?

As work cycles spin faster and faster, professionals are faced with never before seen challenges and territory that is uncharted. As work cycles accelerate so must our learning capacity. Today’s shifting work demands are forcing us to approach work, no matter your age, as if we were a rookie.

Liz Wiseman, author of Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing In The New Game Of Work, believes that a rookie mindset will be an imperative skill-set for any future professionals.

Related Read: What Everybody Ought To Know About The Myth Of Experience

Liz and a team of researchers studied approximately 400 workplace scenarios, comparing how rookies versus veterans tackled work assignments. They analyzed the data by performance level, looking for the key differentiators between how rookies and veterans approached their work, and the situations under which they excelled. They defined a rookie as someone who had never done that type of work and a veteran as someone who had previous experience with that type of work, both regardless of their age. Below are their findings.

Reasons Why Rookies Trump Veterans In The New Game of Work

• Rookies listen more and learn faster
• Rookies bite off smaller pieces of work.
• Rookies are 4x more likely than veterans to ask for help.
• Rookies inject a spirit of fun into everything they do at work.
• Rookies work cautiously and minimize risk by frequently checking in with stakeholders.
• Rookies have significantly higher levels of self-awareness than veterans.
• Rookies tend to deliver more timely solutions despite having a steeper learning curve.
• Rookies are more attuned to politics, although veterans possess greater political savvy.
• Rookies seek out expertise 40% more often than veterans.
• Rookies are 2x more likely than veterans to believe that they had something to learn
• Rookies are 12% more likely than veterans to persist in the face of failure.
• Rookies were 40% more likely than veterans to work harder and put in longer hours in response to pressure or scrutiny. (Veterans were 30% more likely to feel debilitating or significant pressure not to fail.)

While these findings are not age dependent, I believe it’s safe to say that many Millennials operate like a rookie because of their lack of experience and due to the perpetual beta culture they grew up in. If leaders decide to ignore these rookies and the unique perspectives and hustle that they bring, they may find themselves and their teams left behind.

Related Read: Reverse Your Stagnation With Reverse Mentoring

For those veterans with valuable experience, Liz encourages you to renew your mind and your skills and combine your hard-won wisdom and experience with the naive brilliance and vitality of a rookie. And instead of filling up “empty” Millennial newcomers with company information, treat them as “full” and ready to contribute with their rookie smarts.

Question: How will you spark a rookie mindset?

Consider Ryan Jenkins to be your next Millennial/Generation Y or Generation Z keynote speaker by clicking here…

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