I recently learned how to solve the Rubiks cube and it taught me an important lesson about learning and our approach to it. My lessons from learning to solve the Rubiks cube might also be the key to approaching the future of work, as per my rants yesterday
First off. Learning to solve the cube is impossibly hard. Here, you have a 3x3 cube on all sides, each consisting of nine smaller squares, with six different colors. The initial state of the cube is a jumbled mess with no clear solution in sight. This, as you may have realised, is an exact description of today's world.
However, I soon understood that the key to solving the cube key lies in breaking it down into manageable steps. Rather than trying to solve the entire cube at once, I focused on solving it one face at a time, little by little, step by step, here a little, there a little. Solving a single face gave me confidence and a solid foundation to build upon.
Similarly, in the context of learning and the future of work, it has become more crucial to break down complex goals into smaller, achievable milestones. And so it will be helpful to master a skill at a time. Empathy today, resilience on the side. Creative thinking here, another thing there. The pressure to know a lot is huge, but be deliberate about your learning and take your time.
It's your learning journey, so focus on making progress and gradually work your way towards the bigger picture. This way, you avoid feeling overwhelmed and are motivated along the way.
But this is easier said than done. When I started learning to solve the cube, I stumbled several times, made several mistakes along the way, and painfully had to start over an insane number of times. Yet, with each attempt, I was honing my dexterity with the cube, mentally firming up the algorithm and developing my approach. I learnt from my errors and made progress.
Likewise, in this new, ever-changing, never-stable world, we have no choice but to embrace a growth mindset. We have to put in the effort required to learn new and more skills - some of which may (unfortunately) be "useless". But a "useless skill" is better than no skill.
In our growth mindset, we need zero expectations for instant mastery and to be open to continuous learning and persistent practice. We will make several mistakes. Heck, I still have message-replying issues. But we need to keep moving forward.
The beautiful thing is that we're never alone. So far, my messaging might have sold the impression that I did it all alone - which is far from the case. I didn't. In my cube-solving journey, I had help from youtube, the world's best self-learning platform.
This might not be the case in the real world as YouTube may not have answers to some of the real-life challenges we face. But the principle remains the same. Seek help when you face seemingly impossible challenges. It is even beautiful in our time because no one is an expert yet, and we are all learning. Thus, it is especially crucial to embrace a culture of learning, where we freely exchange ideas and support each other.
We can leverage the collective intelligence of our peers, mentors, leaders, followers and important in today's world - the internet. As Robert Daily succinctly put it, "In times of change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists".
The times of change are here. Are you a learner or a learned? The ball is ultimately in your court!
