3 Steps to Creating a Mobile Classroom
What is the average person’s plan for personal growth? Apparently eating more food! Their growth is physical weight and seemingly nothing else.
But is that personal growth? Is that the actual plan? Having no plan is a bad plan, Dr. Obvious.
Sadly, most struggle in this area and easily excuse themselves because of how busy they are in life.
The Back Story
When I first started flying a lot for my job, I had a very influential conversation with a seasoned, older businessman that would change the way I view learning opportunities.
We were on a flight and I began to ask him all types of travel questions: which airlines, hotels, car rentals have the best points type of questions.
The the conversation turned. He said, “Son, I notice you’re a reader. Can I ask you a question. When do you read?”
I gave him what I thought was an impressive answer: “Every chance I get, Sir.”
He responded confidently and a little sarcastically, “We’ll see about that. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
Youthful Assumptions
I responded with a similar confidence (and looking back, more arrogance) “Ask away.”
He began, “Do you think you maximize all of your times to read and learn?”
“Of course” I said with youthful optimism and ignorance.
“Let’s talk about work travel for a moment. How long is your drive to the airport?”
I responded, “About 30 minutes.”
“Do you read, I mean listen to something educational during that time?” He continued.
“Well…” I tried to answer.
“How about the time from getting out of your car to boarding the plane?”
“Um…” He sensed blood in the water.
Going in for the Kill
“Do you always watch movies on your iPad every time like you did on this flight?”
“Uh…” (my head dropping)
“Do you rent a car? Do you maximize the drive time? Return to the airport, waiting time, flight home, drive home..?”
“Are you getting my point, son? I just listed the amount of time you could nearly complete most if not an entire book.”
The only two words that I could utter was “Interesting. Thanks.”
I was humbled and enlightened in that moment from this interrogation by an older man. But oh how I needed this growth spanking.
Needless to say, we didn’t talk much the rest of the flight. He went on reading his book and I sat there trying to hide watching the rest of my movie.
After the Conversation
I de-boarded the plane licking my preverbal wounds. But looking back, there are few conversations with a complete stranger that have impacted my life more than that thought-provoking interaction.
Now, I could’ve left the conversation on the plane and no one would’ve ever known.
Or I could look at the conversation as a gift that could change the direction of my perspective on learning and personal growth can happen absolutely any where I am and at any given time.
I want to teach you the steps I learned on how to create a mobile classroom so you can begin learning during the motion of your life.
3 Steps to Creating a Mobile Classroom
Step 1. Have Access to Something Everywhere
We’re a people on the go especially if you’re a motivated, busy professional.
And as a result, we literally have the access to consume content (and I mean personal development and growth) anytime and anywhere.
So, I made a commitment to put growth material anywhere I could be so that in a moment’s notice, I could learn.
Here are some examples:
- Phones (podcasts / audiobooks)
- CDs for the car or an auxiliary cord to use the phone
- Good old-fashion books
- Digital books (iBooks / Kindle)
- Printed articles (if I find a good blog post, magazine article, I print it for later)
You could set aside time to think through what means and what content. Check out the Think Space post.
This is a simple but necessary step to creating a mobile classroom. You must have easily accessible content.
Step 2. Plan Ahead of Time
Once you have access to something everywhere, now it’s time to plan ahead so you can begin to learn in your new mobile classroom.
Know Thyself – you know what content will interest you. You also know when you’re likely to read or listen to certain things. This is key.
For example, when I’m limited on time and don’t want to dive into a book, this is a perfect opportunity to pull out copies of blog posts, magazine articles that interested me, etc. that I can go through with a highlighter and a red pen.
Know Thy Schedule – you know when you have opportunities within your schedule to insert learning into the cracks. And you know when are the larger cracks and when are the smaller cracks.
Choose to use those precious few minutes to learn.
5 minutes of a podcast, 10 minutes of reading something inspirational, or 20 minutes of an audiobook will fuel you in ways you don’t even realize.
Step 3. Find the Hidden Opportunities
Once you have access to something everywhere and have planned ahead, now its’ time to look for those hidden opportunities within your day ahead to maximize every learning opportunity.
And most days will offer these hidden little pockets if you just look for them.
Here are some examples:
- car (to and from work / picking up the kids)
- exercise (choose learning over music)
- flight (reference my story earlier)
- any place you have to wait (appointments)
This is what separates the interested learners to the die-hard learners who will use every moment offered to them to intentionally grow.
Closing Thoughts
Don’t make excuses because you only have a few minutes. Leverage those moments to learn.
My goal was to challenge, educate, and motivate you to create a mobile classroom. You’ve been given three steps to make this happen:
Step 1. Have Access to Something Everywhere
Step 2. Plan Ahead
Step 3. Find the Hidden Opportunities
So, it’s on you now to take your learning to the next level. Will you go mobile? It’s worth the effort to find out!
Closing Question
What do you need to do within your life to create your own personal mobile classroom?
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