She didn’t fit the typical coffee shop crowd.
Most days, this cozy cafe buzzes with students buried in laptops, professionals sipping lattes and a few older folks casually scrolling through their iPads.
But not this woman. She and her granddaughter sat across from each other a few feet down from me, and there was a small, open box between them. Her silver hair was styled comfortably, making her look much younger than she actually was. She also had a sense of fashion without being presumptuous. She was stylin’.
When she spoke, she was confident – but not in a pushy way. “I can do this, you know. That’s why I bought it.”
“Absolutely, Grandma. You’ve never been afraid to try new stuff.”
“Maybe that’ll happen when I get old,” she said.
“So, how old are you now?”
“I’m only 94. Now, show me what else this thing can do.”
The granddaughter, a woman who looked like she was in her early 40’s let her Grandma hold the watch herself and try things out while she talked her through the steps.
The box on the table had a familiar logo: Apple.
I was there to work on an article I’m writing and clean up some emails. But this was too good to ignore. A 94-year old woman just purchased an Apple watch and was committed to learning how to use it.
“Will it show my heart rate?”
“It sure will, Grandma. See? It’s right here.”
“That’s important,” the woman said. “I’ll check it every morning. If it shows I have a pulse, I’ll get up.” They both laughed.
“Does it keep track of how many steps I take?”
“Yep. And it also shows exactly where you are, and I can see it on a map on my computer.”
“That’s good. I’m supposed to walk 10,000 steps a day. If I get lost, I’ll just keep walking until you come find me.” They both laughed again.
This went on for another 30 minutes. Grandma tried each instruction several times until she finally got it. Granddaughter wasn’t irritated that it took multiple tries. I felt like her patience was giving her grandma a gift of great respect.
Finally, it was time for them to go. Grandma wrapped the watch around her wrist and snugged it up.
“Thanks, Honey,” she said to her granddaughter. “Next time, can you show me how it connects with my iPhone?”
And they left.
I watched them walk slowly away, and realized this wasn’t one of those older marathon runners that are in the peak of physical shape. She was just an elderly woman who decided not to think elderly.
She had a young attitude because she decided to keep learning.
In the corporate work I’ve done over the years, I’ve met a lot of people who learned how to do their job really well – and then they simply stop learning. They clock in, do their job routinely and clock out.
In a lot of cases, they feel stuck. They feel like there’s nothing they can do about their circumstances, so they give up. They feel like victims, so everything that happens reinforces that feeling.
If they believe that they’re a failure, they’ll see every mistake as evidence that it’s true. If they’ve decided they can’t grow or learn anything new, they don’t even try. When they do something well, they assume it was just a lucky break.
But they don’t have to do that.
Just because we believe something about ourselves doesn’t mean it’s true.
We can challenge those beliefs.
It’s not our IQ that holds us back; it’s our willingness to keep learning.
Albert Einstein said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.”
Are you still learning? Or do you find yourself pulling away from challenges?
This week, be aware of how you’re thinking about yourself. Then, push the envelope just a little. It doesn’t take massive change – just a little nudge.
If you always stay in your comfort zone, stick your toes just over the edge. For instance, I know how to write, but was always overwhelmed by the process of “getting it out there.” So over the years, I hired a few experts to take me to the next level. They didn’t demand massive change all at once; they just made it “safe” to play in new territory.
If you feel stagnant, pick one small thing you wish you knew how to do. Google it, YouTube it or watch a video about it and then try it. Pick something simple that you want to learn – how to make biscotti, write an article, understand the stock market, forecast the weather, take great children’s photos, or play chess.
Get into the habit of learning something new all the time.
Maybe when you’re 94, you’re granddaughter will be teaching you the latest technology.
Or better yet – maybe you’ll be teaching her.
What’s something you’d love to learn?
What one thing can you do this week to get started?
Let me know at mike@mikebechtle.com – I’d love to know what you’re thinking!
Need a simple learning suggestion? Click here to download my free guide, 10 Things Confident Communicators Avoid Saying. It’s a simple, actionable guide that can help you take your conversations to the next level immediately!