I'm a lifetime learner. If you're one too, you get it. We never stop learning. We're always searching for a better, new way to do something. We don't roll our eyes when we go to seminars- in fact, if you're like me, you pay a lot out of your own pocket each year just to attend them- to stay sharp, and to be the best you can be.
I came up with a list of things that I do when I attend a workshop. This came up specifically after attending a four-day workshop that I attended in Austin on how to learn to read finances and grow businesses. Three people were looking over my shoulder at different points during the week, and all of them commented on the way that I took notes and what I was doing. Like they did, I thought you would get value out of this.
One: Go into every event with the right mindset. In life, you will find what you're looking for. If you go into any workshop thinking you're not going to get anything out of it, you won't. If you go in saying, "I'm going to find one thing to make a difference in my life," you'll find that, and more! Have the right mindset.
Two: Have stated desired outcomes before you go. Even if it's 15 minutes before you start a workshop, list your goals in advance. A good question to ask yourself is, "What must be true for this to be an impactful experience for me?" Often times I will write things like, "Meet three good new people. Solve a particular business problem I'm experiencing. Give back to the group in some way." I also add, "Learn a new training technique that I can share with others."
Three: Keep a separate list for actions to take. This is critical. If you're like me, you take a lot of notes. I happen to type mine, but you can take them any way you like. I have a separate piece of paper (or in my case a separate section in my electronic notes) for actions that I will take in the future.
My general notes go in one place, however, there's a separate section for actions that need to be taken. I keep this separate from my notes so that I can easily look at what steps need to be taken at the end of the workshop. Attending a workshop is useless if you don't do anything with the knowledge and the information. Failure to implement is the greatest sin in self-improvement. At the end of every workshop, I always go back and take a look at what needs to be assigned to others, what I can do quickly, what I need to do long-term, and lastly, a list of ideas that were good in the moment, but in the grand scheme of things won't have fantastic impact. Those get put on a 'someday' list that rarely get done. Be okay with that.
Four: Food and water. You never know when breaks are going to occur. Always bring your own water and food. Quest Protein Bars are my go-to.
Five: Dress warm. Here's in insider's tip as a professional trainer and coach. We like to keep the room cold. There's a reason for that, when you're cold you pay more attention, when you're warm people fall asleep. Or at least, they don't pay as much attention. We keep the rooms cold for a reason. Dress in layers so that you can warm up or cool off as needed. Bring a sweater, jacket, or whatever you need, but plan on it being colder than you would like.
Six: Sit in the front. There's a legend in our business. Al Strauss is a veteran in Sandler and an amazing human being. He knows more about selling than a hundred typical people put together. Any time he goes to one of the Sandler conferences, you will always find him on the front row. Even though he's in his 70s, he's still learning and sitting right up front. I asked him one day about that, and he said, "If there's only air between me and the presenter I'll always get more. No distractions, no one tapping their pens and pencils, no one talking or chatting, it's just me and the presenter. I always sit in the sessions and look for one thing I can take away. That's a wonderful mindset to have, regardless of where you are in your career."
Seven: Turn off messages and cellphones. I know it's tough these days, as we're so tied to our devices to stay productive. I totally get it- and frankly, I don't always turn mine off, either. But at the very least minimize it. Turn the phone upside down so you can't even see when messages come in. It's disrespectful to your neighbors and it distracts us. Remember the following, Do you own your cell phone, or does your cell phone own YOU?
Eight: That said, bring a cell phone charger as well as a portable battery charger so you can charge your phone whenever the need arises.
Nine: Some people think out loud... so how to drown out that "hum" throughout the room? One of my favorite apps, called Brainwaves, comes in handy, but you could also play relaxing music. Sometimes during sessions, the presenter will have the group do small breakouts where attendees work by themselves. Have a way to "tune out" and maintain your concentration. I always have headphones that I put on to play Beethoven or other music in the background so that I'm not distracted and I can focus on the assignment.
By the way, in high school and college, I was a terrible student. Mainly because I didn't care about what I was learning. These days, the more I learn, and the better I am, the more I get to help you.
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