LIFE SMARTS:
Essential Mindsets and Skillsets for Making Wise Choices
and Leading By Inspiring Example at Any Age
Introduction
Thank you for your interest in the Life Smarts Mindsets and Skillsets website, driven by my passion for continuous Learning, Development and Growth and the unwavering belief there’s always more to learn to advance our knowledge personally and professionally. These two dimensions must be integrated if adult learning opportunities will serve our entire lives and not merely try to address our “work self” or our “personal self” – which can often be in placed conflict with one another when it comes to our needs, goals, and values.
Whole Life success considers all facets of human knowledge, growth, and change in a synergistic manner, wherein the sum of the parts of ourselves isn’t simply greater than the whole; we are an interdependent, ever-evolving dynamic system. Just like our vehicles need regular care, learning how to make wise choices regarding what parts of us require attention and maintenance is essential for smooth navigation the entire length of our life, instead of fixing something once it’s broken.
In my decade+ of personal and professional Learning, Development and Growth and sustainable behavioral habit change educational work, I've obviously met countless people who at in various stages of innerevolution. I don't know exactly what distinguishes one person's progress from another, but I do believe there are points along the way where we make crucial choices that determine the length of our time in the process of becoming more knowledge-full human beings. Some of these choices are unconscious, especially as we take those initial steps, but as we progress, the choices become more consciously made. And if we follow those steps as far and as long as it takes, they can also make us Smarter human beings, constantly improving our methods for learning how to navigate our way through Life the best we know how to do in any given situation, interaction, and moment, personally and professionally, and never thinking we have nothing else to learn.
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​​​Of this I am certain based upon my extensive experience in personal and professional Learning, Development and Growth in a variety of formats: all lasting Mindset and Skillset learning and growth requires incorporating sustainable behavioral habit change practices and processes. We are finally seeing shifts in workplace Training and L&D that concur with what I've witnessed countless times: training is something, but learning is everything - and it simply cannot happen in "one and done" or "check the box" "quick fix" short attention span indulging formats. Anything of lasting value must be earned by doing the work required.
Suzanne Matthiessen