3 Key Takeaways One Should Gain During life’s Learning Phase
A New Calendar View – Part 2
Phase one which is the learning decades is ages 0-29. What’s interesting about the first three decades of a person’s life is this. Parents, teachers, spiritual leaders, and our circle of friends try to get us to conform to their way of doing life. I recall one of my parents’ wishes for me. They wanted me to be a doctor. This was a compliment in that they thought I was smart enough for that occupation, but the truth is I can’t stomach the blood and guts to that degree.
No one fits a mold set by others. When someone forces you into their mold it’s like inserting a square peg into a round hole. It doesn’t fit. You’re made to be different and unique. What my parents, friends, mentors, and leaders didn’t consider by trying to push their agenda upon my life was this; what they were inferring was, what I wanted to be wasn’t good enough for their idea of who they wanted me to be.
Who is that person that’s indirectly saying to you that what you want for yourself isn’t good enough for their idea of who they want you to be? Just because someone has an idea of what they want you to be doesn’t mean that what’s on the inside of you is less than or doesn’t measure up to their desire. In fact, I believe the trajectory that God has me on is greater than anyone else’s dream for me and my life. You must learn to live this way. You must learn how to live an uncommon life of your own. It’s in this learning decade that you find out you can’t be what others want you to be, if you desire to become what you desire to be.
With that said, let’s spend a moment defining how we learn to live an uncommon life in each decade of the learning phase of life.
I am nothing ordinary. (Decade 1: 0-9)
I learned as a child that I was no ordinary child.
Decade-1 taught me the foundation of prayer. Prayer has been embedded in me since my youth and because of this, I decided to use it in everything I do. What did you grab a hold of in your youth that you’ve never let go and how can you use it today?
There was something about you that didn’t quite sit right in the mix of others. You had something your friends didn’t. You had concerns for something that others would overlook. There was something about you that others said there’s something about that kid. What was it for you? This is key to you figuring out how you’re wired. The sooner you do this the sooner your life begins to make sense.
By the way, a person whose life doesn’t make sense is one who’s living outside of what they were meant to be. This person has allowed others to move them away from the gift of themselves to being more of the gift that someone else possesses. In decade-1, the goal is to figure out (and quickly) what makes you different from those around you and then use that difference as a gift used to serve the world. Tiger Woods is a good example of this. He found an early interest in golf, most kids hate golf. Why is it that Tiger Woods is so good, well he discovered his gift at a very early age. Think back to those early days to find the gift that has been buried within you. Figure out why you’re nothing ordinary.
Hard work pays for itself. (Decade 2: 10-19)
In decade-2, I learned how to give life my all in an area and to stick with it so that I could become a master. In decade-2, one is a student in training to become a master, an expert, a SME. Ordinary individuals are too busy during this time trying to figure out what they wish to become and rarely ever find the answer they’re looking for. The uncommon however have identified their uniqueness early so that by decade-2 they’re not delayed in putting in the work required to become great.
When I say master, I simply mean anything you work on for a decade, you master. You see, I mastered school and became a master of church. What did you put your work, energy, and effort into during your decade-2 and what have you mastered? In order to learn, which is growth, it takes work. In the physical fitness world, the phrase goes like this, no pain no gain. The same is true when it comes to decade-2. Hard work pays off or better stated as John Maxwell says, “everything worthwhile is uphill.”
No one can take from you the very thing you’ve worked for. Once you’ve earned something, it can’t be unearned. What you learn and the talent you sharpen, it’s something that can’t be taken from you. In decade-2, it’s the time you work hard to become you. After knowing why you’re different in decade-1, decade-2 should be the period where you sharpen that skill. You study it, you work with it, you find people you like with it. In other words, eat, sleep and live your gift, skill, or talent. The best example I can think of that most people on the planet witness is seen every time the Olympics occurs. These athletes during decade-2 have dedicated their entire decade to becoming the best athlete they possibly can. In decade-2, they’ve worked hard and it has paid off. Enough to see them compete on the biggest stage in the world.
Relearning what I thought I knew. (Decade 3: 20-29)
In decade-3, I discovered I didn’t know everything and there’s a lot I needed to learn. By decade-3, you’ll be exposed to a larger world. This is a good thing. The lid that was on you has now opened so that you can grow more in that very thing you’re good at.
There’s a famous story that goes like this. There was a wealthy business owner who had to leave his country for a period of time. So he decided to delegate the work of running his business to three others. Based on their ability, he issues 5 areas of responsibility to 1 of his delegates, 2 areas to another, and 1 to the last of the three. When this business owner returned he found that the one with five responsibilities grew the business and he ended up rewarding this delegate with five additional responsibilities, ten in total. In other words, he doubled his skills. The delegate with 2 responsibilities did the same and ended up with four. However, the delegate with one refused to grow and was deemed a worthless business partner. [1] In the same way, growth occurs when you are pushed to use your gift for others and see it this way. One can choose to grow or one can choose not to. When you decide to grow or learn more, learn differently, relearn (learn again), you can multiply the impact of your gift.
I figured, like most which is a problem) that once I completed high school and college, I’d learned everything I needed to be a success in life. Boy, was I wrong. That was just the beginning. John Maxwell says it this way, “the more I know, the more I know I don’t know.” The key to any area of growth is to never stop learning. Even when you have some success, be like that tree I’ve mentioned. How tall will you grow? As tall as you can. What did your decade-3 teach you? What are you learning? How will you use decade-3 to take your gift to the next-level?
Now that we’ve gone through the learning decades, let’s recap your takeaways. For those of us who’ve experienced these decades already, look back and use the experiences and for those who have yet to complete these decades, use this insight to maximize who you are. Takeaway-1, figure out what makes you nothing ordinary. Takeaway-2, work hard on what matters so that your work pays off in what matters. Takeaway-3, don’t be afraid to relearn or learn some more to add to what you already know. Remember this is the learning phase for your entire life, it’s not wise to cut it short nor is it wise to overlook the purpose of this phase. If you had a calendar with only these three decades, what would you like to add to this calendar outlining what you’d like to learn to further yourself and your gift? This is your life and it is your business; let’s take it to the next level.
Question: what have you learned about yourself during the learning phase of your life?
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Hebrews 11:1 Matthew 25:14-30 NLT, accessed April 4, 2022, https://bible.com/bible/116/mat.25.14-30.NLT
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.
