Have you ever won the lottery? I was reminded recently of the old joke that, to win it, it’s helpful to buy a ticket. I was also inspired by an old article that defined the illiterate of the 21st century as “people who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn”. These thoughts combined to stir my entrepreneurial spirit.
Taking the lottery point, I am constantly amazed by the many struggling businesses that appear to sit on their hands, hoping against hope that their prospects and circumstances will somehow magically improve. As a friend of mine once said; “if you’ve got nothing to do, go and polish the church pews; something will happen”.
There’s a strong message here- don’t get frozen in the headlights and do nothing! For some businesses this may promote a new beginning….
But what about “learning, unlearning and relearning”? Technological change was clearly the original author’s focus but, for me, the words perfectly describe the “illiteracy” of people that go about life turning the same old handle, whilst expecting a different result. Common sense tells us that this doesn’t happen. Dare one suggest, therefore, that even if the existing model isn’t broken, you should break it?! Innovation and change only come through new ideas and experimentation. Many of them may not work, but the learning will often provide a bridge to your future success.
