Master the Function of Learning
Level 5: Master Player
Dear Future Guardian,
Let's talk about events.
More specifically, getting something valuable out of an event you attend.
More specifically, always getting exactly what you need right now from any piece of informative content or experience.
Gray Wolf Summit is one of those unique events which attracts people who go simply to be in the room. That environment creates a dynamic where you're much more open to and accepting of any possibility that might present itself.
But you can go a level higher than just being open to anything, even at our events.
Certainly at any other event, and for any informative device or experience such as a course or even a book.
Most people approach an event or a course or a book (something they are looking to learn from) thinking about "the thing." I'm going to go to this event and get something. I'm going to go to this event and figure out how to do something. I'm going to got to this event to get new connections. I'm going to go to this event and get new business.
It's all an approach of seeking "things" (from the event, the course, the book) and adding them to your collection of other things (more frameworks for efficiency, more tactics for your marketing, etc).
This is quite form focused, if you think about it.
Very quickly on function v form1.
Function is essentially the reason the thing exists or the reason you are doing the thing. The function of a screw might be to hold a picture frame together.
Form is the thing itself. The form in the above scenario is the screw.
Most people focus on the form, because they see that as the thing providing the outcome. So when the screw falls out of your picture frame ... what do you do to fix the problem?
Most people go look for a screwdriver. They might search high and low for the screwdriver, realize they don't have one, and then think they gotta go get one.
Function is realizing that you may not need a screwdriver to hold the picture frame together (in fact, you may not even need the screw) - and instead you find some glue and fix the problem that way.
And to bring it back to these events, or a course you might take, or a book you might read - things you are trying to learn from - most people are *form* focused.
Function vs Form in Learning
So in the case of an event, a form focused point of view is going into it looking for the thing you think is going to help you, AND/OR going into it with the preconceived notion that you already know about the thing.
Your assumptions about the thing.
Looking for certain aspects of the thing.
It's going to a TGA Event thinking "I'm gonna finally master bumpers!"
(And if you know our events, especially, that's kinda silly)
For a non TGA example ...
Let's say I'm going to an event about AI to get more tools and techniques for applying to my business with AI. Makes sense right? I'm sure this is how most people would approach and think about this. But I'm going there specifically for the tools and the techniques - those are forms.
Same with books that have information we want. I may take a book about organization because I'm interested in taking the organizational strategy the book talks about and applying it to my life. So I'm going to read that whole book and try to apply that whole strategy.
Courses are no different. Form focused is getting a course because you want to apply all the shiny new tools and techniques in that course to your business/life.
What the function of the course/event/book is for you, will depend on the outcome you are seeking. So I can't tell you what the function of any of this is ... specifically.
I CAN give you a broad definition of the function of information like this, but it's going to look different than you think.
This is a different way of thinking about yourself, your business, your situation and how you can enter any event, buy any course, read any book, and get exactly what you need from it right now.
(Since some of you are probably thinking it, spoiler alert, knowing your most immediate constraint will make this a lot easier - but this is not about most immediate constraints, it's just that what we're gonna focus on is highly likely to be related to your most immediate constraint ... but more in this another time)
The Function of Learning
We're talking about learning here.
Whether it's an event where you go to connect with others, get some ideas, some new perspective ... you're going there to learn.
It's a course, that's easier to see. You buy a course for information to learn, or to be demonstrated so you can learn, etc.
Informational book is obvious ... it's full of information so you got it to learn.
What is the function of learning?
To make ourselves smarter?
Let's revisit the TGA perspectives on learning and intelligence2.
Intelligence is the ability to get what you want.
Learning is demonstrated by having a different behavior in the same situation.
We increase our intelligence by changing our behavior in the same situation.
(See hot stove, touch stove, ouch, see hot stove again, don't touch stove cuz ouch, hey you learned - did touch stove again? didn't learn)
This is why The Arena3 is structured like it is - we enact on people's learning loops, ...
Consume (that's the book/event/course/etc)
Reflect (think about what it means to you)
Engage (put into action the idea you reflected upon)
Reflect (observe what happens and think about what it means to you)
Repeat (return to the source and reconsider the original idea/experience, to repeat the loop)
That Engage is your opportunity to find out what happens when you do the thing, so that you can change your behavior in the same situation when you go back to it again.
Learning is behavior modification.
So ..
The ultimate function of ANY Event, Book, Course, information that you might consume or experience you might have to learn ...
IS
Behavior Modification.
THEREFORE
The ultimate way to get exactly what you need from any of these things ...
is NOT to go into them looking for shit to apply to your life,
It's to approach these learning opportunities with full conscious awareness of the behavior you want to modify.
And then,
When you are taking in information, you can ask yourself does this help me modify the behavior I want, in the way that helps me get what I want in life?
FUNCTION focused.
That means,
Blank Slate, Open Mind
One of the most powerful positions - for yourself and your interests and outcomes - which you can adopt when you go to an Event, when you buy a course, when you pick up a book to read ...
Is to enter learning situations with A Blank Slate and An Open Mind.
No preconceived notions. No expectations. No thoughts that you already know what's going on, whats gonna happen, whats gonna be shown to you. No ideas about things your going to apply or stuff you're going to get from the event/book/course.
Because,
The ONLY thing you need to get value out of any bit of information is the already determined understanding of what behavior you are wanting to modify.
This becomes the most powerful position because then you have no walls preventing you from seeing how something you never expected might be exactly what you want to change your behavior.
It opens you to the greatest swath of immediately beneficial possibility within all that you are doing.
A personal example.
As I have been re-integrating AI into some of my workflows (and offering the same to clients), I have been keeping my finger more on the pulse of what is possible in AI. I recently had the opportunity to grab a seat in an otherwise unavailable course, so I took it, even though I was pretty sure I knew all the "things" they were going to show me.
Most of what I discovered was in many ways what I expected.
Information that I already knew about creating the kinds of outputs I want with AI.
I think many people going into that kind of situation would be disappointed to find what they purchased didn't teach them any new things.
However,
Before going into it I identified clearly a behavior in my business which I wanted to change to help me move closer to my goals. And since going through the materials, I have found a shift, which I've already put into play and have already seen results from.
But it wasn't "the things" in the course. I didn't take some "how to do XYZ" thing on AI to make this immediate change - rather it was a perspective I discovered having gone through everything, which has shifted my approach. It's a subtle shift, but so far it's been a powerful one.
I'm deliberately avoiding the details because I just wanted to highlight this:
It's entirely possible to get MORE THAN the value out of an event, a course, a book ... really anything where you might expect to learn, without "learning" the specific "things" being taught, but rather because you identified a behavior to change, and in the experience of going through that event/course/book you discovered something you could immediately apply to change that behavior.
THAT's why it's so good.
When you approach a situation that offers a chance to learn, and you do so knowing the behavior - rather than focusing on getting more stuff - your perception opens up to a much wider frequency of receptivity, and allows the kind of positive and valuable change you actually need right now.
I could very well return to that course later, with a different behavior - or potentially a technical problem - and solve something new. Every time I go through it I could find new and interesting ideas and perspectives to alter my behavior for the better in the direction I want to go.
Just don't fall into THIS trap
Once you become aware of behavior modification as the goal for learning, it becomes really easy to convince yourself that you are acquiring information in order to modify your behavior.
But this is the same Form trap as before.
I'm going to get this book on project organization and enact the framework they talk about so I can change my behavior on organizing projects.
FORM FOCUSED. You're looking at a screwdriver and saying 'how can i use this?'
Start with the behavior ... and if you want to really excel at this, start with the behavior that aligns with your most immediate constraint (or consider it your "most immediate constraint behavior"). The kind of behavior, however small, that when changed can reveal new resources quickly.
And then read that book, NOT with the goal of taking the thing to change your behavior (because then you're mind/thoughts/perspective will be form focused), do so with the goal of having a blank slate and open mind, simply with the awareness that you want to alter that one behavior.
You'll probably be surprised at what you discover.
What behaviors are YOU wanting to change?
Want to discuss the possibilities and hone in on a good one to keep in mind? Comment below ... you show me yours and I'll show you mine.
Be Useful. Be Present. Love the Journey.
Joseph Robertson, CMO The Guardian Academy
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