Learning doesn’t always need a lot. Paper and pen, a walk or a chat can trigger insightful reflection and deepen our understanding. An open mind, a burning question and a quiet focused moment make our body and mind do a fabulous job. Sometimes it is as simple as that.
For me learning is often a question of slowing down. I give my busy mind a rest, some quality thinking time focused on one thing.
1. Paper and pen
Paper and pen are still the simplest way to deepen reflection and learning. I retreat for half an hour or an hour. I offer myself a quiet undisturbed moment in a quiet place. I let my thoughts flow onto the paper. Free writing or journaling helps me digest and deepen my thoughts.
If you need some inspiration to do so too, listen to the episode #221 of Six Pixels Of Separation – Unlocking creativity and your accidental genius with Marc Levy
2. Learning walk
This is easy as well as healthy. I head off with a learning question in mind and just walk and see what happens. First I concentrate on my steps and breathing, I let the thoughts flow. The nature surrounding me does a fabulous job. And on top of that nature offers great metaphors (I love the gardening metaphor for knowledge management).
There are similar options: Tina Seelig goes sleeping with a burning question in mind.
Before I go to sleep at night I give myself the challenge of thinking about a certain topic I want to work on for that next day. Then I get up and write for three hours on that topic.
3. Buddy talk
Sometimes neither writing nor walking are the helpful approach. A listening ear from a KM buddy seems more suitable to get going again. In my experience, voicing ideas and questions clarifies them.
Peer assists are a helpful approach; organizing an informal peer chat over a coffee is an easy and simple thing to do. Just make sure you offer your listening ear to your colleague from time to time.
More easy ideas?
Learning moments 
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