Ankle Adjacent Learning

Three weeks ago, I was happily doing some e-learning and then I stood up and rolled my ankle – next thing I am off to the local walk-in centre and a few hours later I had acquired a boot on my left foot, a walking frame with the ultimate outcome of a broken ankle.  For clarity I am not wanting to make a link between e-learning and broken bones – that might start a whole new debate in the learning space!

What this has meant is that I am now in a period of enforced rest and recuperation which on reflection has been a force for good and has led to lots of reading. One of the most interesting is Adjacent Learning. by @David Hayden and @Steve George which focuses on learning which takes place outside the workplace and how it can be applied in that context.

I think it is fair to say there has been a lot of learning in the last three weeks and here are a few highlights to share:

• How easily things become the new norm – I love baths, walking and going out and all three of these are pretty much off the table now. What has surprised me is the new normal of having to wash in a bowl, injecting myself once a day have become just the way things are and automatic reactions. I spend a lot of my working life talking about creating new habits and these for now are my new habits. With this in mind I am wondering how many habits I have stuck with rather than changing and reflecting as I have been going along.
• Persistence helps with acquiring skills – My newfound skills are mainly being able to hop on one leg and let me be clear I am not intending to be doing that on a regular basis although it could make for some interesting training sessions. However, I have got better at it – using what has been called ‘Usain the Frame’ mainly through trial and error and a determination to at least get to the kitchen. I like to think what I have lost in speed I at least make up for it in technique! If you know me well then you will be aware that my relationship to Excel spreadsheets is dysfunctional to say the least – so I am going to work on being persistent with learning how to use them more effectively.
• I am not always as clear as I thought I was – Given that a large proportion of my life is spent talking to people, explaining things I thought I was a shoo in when having to explain the mysteries of our dryer to my mum! However, what became clear in the conversation was how much I assumed and there is a clear lesson here for me when I get back to facilitation and learning delivery about checking the knowledge in the room.
• Proper rest is good for you – Okay so I fess up that I have always known this – the difference is that I haven’t been very good at practicing it. What I have noticed is how much clearer my intentions are now about what I am going to do in the future and who I am going to do it with. I often refer to the Marie Kondo and her idea of Sparking Joy and in the past few weeks I have started an inventory of what truly brings me joy from a work perspective with a few surprises – some things I thought I was truly interested in don’t seem that important anymore.
• The importance of kindness – Again this is one of those things that I have always thought was important but in the last few weeks it has truly come home to me. I have had many long chats with visitors who have brought cream teas, flowers, cake and best of all themselves to my door where we have chatted and laughed at my kitchen table – thank you! The meaningful gestures are what is important, and I will be doing more of that going forward.
• Having things to look forward to is crucial – There is still another three weeks to go followed by some rehab – however I have plans – there is still the 99 documentary to watch, some more reading, writing some training and I am planning lots of exciting things for when I am up and about again! Although I will be missing a trip to see Anton and Giovanni with my mum – I have booked her a surprise trip to see Anton in the new year instead, which I know she will love!

So, these are my starters for ten and some of these are pretty significant particularly the one about what I do and who I do it with – I can’t wait to see where the next 12 months takes me and who I get to meet on my journey there… In the meantime, here’s to much more adjacent learning!