Patience, young grasshopper

It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts. ~ Attributed to Harry S Truman

I’d have to admit, I think I was undoubtedly one of the most impatient kids growing up! Given I was the youngest of 3, I desperately yearned to do, act-like and have everything my older siblings had. At aged 2, I begged my parents to go to school; starting flipping burgers at 15 – thinking I was building my life (chuckle to myself) and dreamed of launching and operating a not-for-profit organisation for the less-fortunate.

What I have learnt over time is that this process cannot be rushed or fast-tracked. Regardless of the level of drive, passion, motivation, ego or ambition one may possess, patience for learning is the essence in becoming a Sensei master.

Now, I’m no Karate King, nonetheless by channelling my ancestry blood, I am able to release my inner karate kid to breakdown my thoughts on this month’s blog topic of learning.

Block
When it comes to road blocks, it’s all about how you approach it. In quite a timely fashion, our Account Executive Ashlee recently passed on a few wise words to me: “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Who doesn’t like a good challenge? Why not take it as a positive?

If it doesn’t break you, it can only make you smarter. The key is to learn from your experiences and mistakes you make along the way. Take it as a roundabout instead of a road block, so long as you don’t become stuck going around in circles.

Strike
It’s imperative one strikes at an opportunity when it arises. Don’t let fear or negativity set into your frame of mind and prevent you from taking a risk. With growth comes risk and with risk comes reward. Remember to push yourself, don’t become complacent or comfortable and create a thirst for change.

The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live. ~ Mortimer Adler Kick

Punch
Give yourself a pat on the back, fist pump, or as I would do, some retail therapy. It’s important to recognise achievements and reward yourself. As much as I would beat myself up over disappointments or failures, it has been a learning experience for me to also celebrate the successes (well – it is my birthday today!).

Stance
Taking time out – one I find hard to put in practice. Refection time is critical in identifying what worked and what didn’t. It creates an opportunity to learn. As Tony, our Senior Planner would say, “Don’t confuse action with accomplishment.” Be patient, take the time to understand, listen and enjoy the ride.

Kung Fu Master
At Jack in the box we never stop learning, it’s what keeps us creative, innovative and forward thinking. We don’t claim to know everything, however we have an accomplice of undeniably talented creative marketing experts which create the secret formula for magic.

At the end of the day, we fight for what we believe in to see the magic appear!