Keep Learning or Get Out of the Way!

Recently I was presented with a situation that caused me to step back and look at my approach as a web developer. While conducting my research for a personal side project* I was accused (by a friend) of being a novice because of my exploratory nature and honesty about time constraints in the beginning stages. After taking this opinion into consideration (and after being well pissed off for about 30 seconds!) I decided to re-evaluate my current approach for a quick moment. Could it be that I’m still an amoeba? Honestly, I don’t think so. My approach continues to serve me and all of my endeavors very well. The great thing about the above mentioned situation is that it caused me to explore what makes me successful in this industry. It’s really one basic quality.

I’m a constant learner.

We are all born like this. For whatever reason, a lot of us are conditioned to strip this beautiful ability from our lives. It must have started somewhere between the need to survive and capitalization of society, but I can’t claim to be well studied in that aspect of humanity. What I do know is that I lost this ability at an early age when I started to become aware of my need to survive on my own. I learned some skills, then I just kept doing them the way I learned them, until one day they weren’t marketable anymore and I couldn’t advance. After some soul searching and self work the ability to explore things with a child-like wonder came alive in me again.

I approach everything I do as a learning experiment. I say “experiment” because it’s not just an experience – I am actually making curious hypotheses about variable outcomes and constantly revising my approach through a given process based on the results of my experimenting. I am playful with my strategy, and try to have as much fun with it as possible. I strive to be a creative scientist and objective judge. As such, I am efficient at what I do and effective in my decision-making.

I understand how comfortable it is to know your game and play it the same way time and time again. Honestly, where’s the fun in that? The nature of this industry has evolved at lightning speed into a constantly-morphing learning experiment. Once you have learned how to do something you are already out-dated, my friends! Stay hungry for the next thing, because soon it will be the only thing providing the meat and potatoes. Keep it an organized mess, because as soon as you clean up that mess a new game has already begun that will have you pulling out all your toys out again with a fury.

“Never look down on anyone, unless you are helping him up.”

Don’t ever forget that there is always someone who appears to be a novice that can (and will) pull that magic carpet you are floating on from under you in a matter of 3 months. Help that person, because you will learn something. And wouldn’t you know it, you will both move up together. That sounds way better than letting that young whipper-snapper take your job, doesn’t it? That young whipper-snapper will have all the more respect for you as well, and you will achieve the tenure you so desire.

In a way, I like it when people underestimate me, as it gives me motivation to raise my own standards of excellence. Thank you, nay-sayers, you give me something negative to transform into powerful beauty, and you have a place near to my heart.

* The situation mentioned above is in no way related to my current professional association, or anyone therein.