During the Pandemic, I was fortunate enough to not be laid-off. I was working at a youth education rec. facility on a ranch when the business halted.
With lockdowns and people not able to travel or willing to be in large groups, the ranch was vacant and we couldn't do our jobs.
But there was still maintenance that needed to be done on property.
So, I got to work with a man named Alan. He was the landscaper, electrician, maintenance man and did everything you could think of to keep a 500-acre, 20+ cabin, barn with 60+ horses property running smooth.
An impressive feat for 1 person.
But Alan wasn't like the rest.
He taught me how to properly sand and stain the exterior of a cabin, his system for using a fork-lift and pickup truck to transport hay bales for the horses, and even how to repair a damaged cabin ro
I replaced the roof on 3 cabins with Alan in under 4 weeks.
In 3 months of working with Alan I had the competency to do any of those tasks on my own. Even more, I got excited facing new maintenance issues.
After being blown away by the plethora of knowledge that just 1 person possessed, I asked Alan:
"How did you learn all of this?"
His answer:
"From doing it."
Alan was 64 at the time. Starting work at 14, he had 50 years of experience by the time he was teaching me.
"From doing it." I couldn't help but wonder how much time I had saved from learning from someone who has already "done it".
Did I skip over common mistakes because of the way Alan explained it?
Did I have more skills and competency after just 3 months with Alan than 3 years without him?
Most definitely.
Alan gave me many invaluable gifts like encouragement and unconditional support. But the most impactful thing he gave was his time.
As someone whose time was wasted by OCD, I have never been able to give or receive a gift better than time.
Especially when that person's time is centered around what gets you excited!
That's when time flies, real learning occurs, and years of compounded knowledge are shared.
It's the same as reading a book. The author puts years of experience around a topic to share how their own accord might help someone else.
So, there you have it.
If you want to learn how to do something, find a person who has already done it and do exactly what they teach you. Or, utilize a book to apply lessons the author learned without the years it took to do so.
Remember, knowledge is associated with the person who shares it. If you find value in this email, forward it to show someone you care about their progress.
**This email was originally sent on March 17, 2023. To subscribe to future daily emails, click here!