Learn From Memories

Whenever we experience intense situations, they get encoded into our memory bank. Strong situations can be pleasant or unpleasant, depending on our initial interpretations. They are formed subconsciously and stored as such. By consciously reflecting on our experiences after the fact, we have the ability to use them to our advantage for growth. Coming out of an intense spring season, what did we learn?

Code Your Memories

Sometimes, memories get stored in ways that are less helpful. If all we remember is the overtime, the urgency and the overwhelming volume of work, then our memory will be one that is unpleasant. This is natural and is referred to as the negativity bias. It is designed to keep us alert and safe. But since we really aren’t at risk, we can recode the memories to serve as learning experiences.

For instance, rather than recall a situation as overwhelming, you can reflect on how you came together as a team to pull off a big project. Rather than remember all the extended days finishing up projects, you could recall those situations for the relief and sense of accomplishment you felt when done They are both true, but reflection allows you to choose how you will store the memories so you can learn from them.

Reflect On Your Memories

This is why reflection is a critical ingredient to your professional growth. We get so busy doing the next thing that we don’t hit the pause button to reflect in order to learn. You have to make the time to reflect. Here are three areas for reflection to make them learning memories.

About your work. What can you do now or do better than before the intense situation? Surely, you are more capable now than you were 6 months ago. But because it happened incrementally over time, it is easy to forget, focusing more on the discomfort you experienced in the learning process.

About your team. We all have our foibles, so rather than emphasizing what people are not, why not focus on what they are? What are their superpowers that you appreciate? Who modeled what you want to emulate?

About yourself. How did you manage yourself appropriately in different situations? How are you a better, more capable, and more confident as a person and as a professional?

Act On Your Memories

If you don’t reflect in order to learn, you will miss the growth opportunities you might gain from those memories. Schedule yourself now to reflect on the spring season and begin recoding your experiences into learning memories.