There's Always More to Learn

 

I had a fantastic weekend. Winter flyfishing is a great way to get out of the city, spend some time in a beautiful spot and challenge yourself. I spent Saturday morning on a quiet little section of the Provo River fishing tiny little midge patterns to rising fish. I was with someone who knew the river much better than myself, what patterns to use and what approach to take. I lost count of the fish I caught...yes, it was that good.

I think one of the things I am most excited about is that I learned a new tactic I had not experienced before and caught a mess of fish. It was the perfect approach, the perfect morning on the river making it just about the perfect weekend.

Like my day on the river, I don't think it really even matters how long you've been at it, there's always more to learn. And, I don't think it matters who you learn from either.

I believe one of the reasons I had such a successful morning on the river was because I was in the mood to learn something new and experience something different. I trusted my teacher, did what he suggested and saw success. Not just a little bit of success, but a lot of success. Without a doubt, even though it was the end of January, I probably had the single most productive day of fishing that I've had in the last couple of seasons. I can't wait to get back out. (Ice in the guides and all.)

What's more, it was only a minor little "tweak" to how I might have approached the river if I had been on my own. It isn't always major changes that can make a difference in productivity. Sometimes it's minor little changes that can produce exponential improvements. That is something I've learned from leading project teams that happens to translate to flyfishing.

I've also learned that effective learning includes an open mind to who is doing the teaching. I've worked on many teams and can honestly say that I've learned from people with very little experience as well as those with years on the job. In my opinion, learning is a life-long pursuit that requires an open mind, willingness and the ability to see what's going on around us.

The day I stop learning is the day it's time for me to quit.

What are you doing to continue to learn? What do you do to keep an open mind?