Here is a fun and insightful exercise. I learned this from my friend Frederick Pferdt until recently, Google’s Chief Innovation Evangelist: When it comes to change (and all Heretics embrace change, of course), we often skip reflecting on what has changed. It is too easy to go from A to B to C without locking in the learning, which one can gain from pausing, thinking about, and sealing in the wisdom we took from getting from A to B to C. Sadly, much is lost when we hurriedly rush through our lives and careers and the best leaders I met had spent time contemplating what changed when they changed.
Next time you find yourself “changed,” take the time to write down your answers to the following two prompts:
I used to think… [FILL IN THE BLANK] Now I think… [FILL IN THE BLANK]
Two seemingly simple prompts highlight the difference between where you were and where you are now.
Having worked with professional athletes, it is something we do every time we change something. It was paramount for us to meticulously track the changes we made and the delta between the before and after states and analyze the difference. Do the same for your professional (and private) life, and you will hugely accelerate your learning.