Be Expectant and Eager to Learn

By Dan Nielsen

May 14, 2021


Your attitude—how you approach every situation—is always a choice. To achieve greater success, choose an attitude of teachability.

Our attitudes and expectations have an incredible impact on our actual experiences. If you start out with a sour attitude about something, or go in expecting something to be boring or irrelevant, nine times out of ten you will get that expected result. And the opposite is true as well—if you enter a situation with a positive attitude and an eager expectation to learn something, you almost always will do just that!

Be eager and willing to learn from everyone and in every situation, and also be open to learning from ideas and perspectives that differ from your own. You may not agree with a particular method or point of view, but you can strive to learn something from it regardless.

Don’t put up your defenses or shy away from things that challenge your outlook or way of doing things. Instead, welcome different perspectives and friendly debate. This is important not only in conversation, but also in what you choose to read or watch. Make a point to watch a TED talk or read an article with a different perspective than your own—you will be surprised what you can learn!

Above all, approach each day and each situation—no matter how good or bad it may seem—with an expectant attitude. Be alert and ready to learn in every situation. Expect to learn something, and you will!

About the author

Dan Nielsen is the author of the books Be An Inspirational Leader: Engage, Inspire, Empower, and Presidential Leadership: Learning from United States Presidential Libraries & Museums. He regularly writes and speaks on leadership excellence and achieving greater success, and is available to deliver keynotes, lead workshops, or facilitate discussions for your group. LEARN MORE

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