Making Mistakes

Welcome to the first of my series on being a Good Student.

 

Ever wonder why two people can go to the same dog training workshop or class and not leave with the same information? If learning meant just showing up to class then we would all be Einsteins!

 

Being a good student involves developing skills you may not have previously considered.  Over the next several emails I will share what I feel are the main characteristics of someone that is a good student. 

 

I really believe by adopting these concepts you will help maximize every learning opportunity that comes your way.

 

Key Concept #1

Be yourself and embrace the opportunity to make mistakes.  Try not to be self-conscious about how"good" you and your dog look in front of the instructor or your peers that may be watching.  We all make mistakes and by exposing your faults you allow the instructor to glean some insight into why you and your dog are having troubles.

 

All too often people allow their fear of failing or the fear of being embarrassed in front of someone they respect, to hold them back from making the most of an opportunity to learn from someone that can help you improve. It might be that you are learning in a group that includes some of your own students. It might be that you have had some past success in the area you are studying so you feel"pressure" to be brilliant.  Whatever the reason. Let go of your ego and allow yourself the privilege of making mistakes.

 

You don't need to justify your performance with comments such as;

 

          I have been away so my so my dog and I are rusty

 

          or

 

          I haven't been sleeping well so my brain is a bit foggy 

 

or whatever!

 

Just be yourself. We are all human. We all make mistakes it is okay. If you try to put on a"performance" your mind will be focused on showing and you close your brain off from taking in all that is being offered to you. Go to your next seminar with mindset of learning  that is available. Don't even consider what you or your dog look like, just open yourself up to all that is available and allow the learning to come to you.

 

I leave you with some of my favorite quotes on Failing. 

 

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure can be avoided only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and in the end, being nothing.
~ Denis Waitley

 

Notice the difference between what happens when a man says to himself, "I have failed three times," and what happens when he says, "I am a failure." 
~ S.I. Hayakawa

 

And my all time favorite on this subject;

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.
~Robert F. Kennedy

 

Happy training everyone. Part two in these series is coming your way soon!

 

Susan Garrett

Say Yes Dog Training Inc

www.clickerdogs.com