It would be great if life had a do-over button. You know, some kind of device that would provide an opportunity to have a “take two” on a situation and have a more successful outcome. Maybe you would work harder, be more polished or clever… maybe you would “get it right this time.” While this idea sounds viable in theory, the chances are that there are many things you wouldn’t choose that option on. Either through lack of clarity, hubris or even lack of understanding what was truly important, you might just move on and not press the button after all.

But what if you could do something over? Would it be worth it? Let’s explore.

If you have spent even the smallest amount of time with Kerri and me in the past three years, you know I have been taking Spanish classes. It has been the most wonderful, vexing, hardest, but still delightful thing I have ever undertaken. I love it. It has caused me to have to come face to face with my tendency toward obsession with perfectionism and helped me realize how very little I understand about grammar (in any language).

As I completed the second year series (Spanish 201, 202 and 203) in the Spring, I was unsure what to do next. Some options included moving on to a higher-level university setting, doing private and/or group lessons or even not taking classes at all and just going it alone. One of my classmates suggested the idea of retaking the series and frankly, I was a bit shocked at the idea. It was so hard the first time, why in the world would I want to do it again?

After a great deal of consideration, I decided to press the do-over button. You see, compared to first year, second year content, pace and expectations had felt turbo charged. We learned multiple tenses, lots of new grammar structures and many nuances that would allow us to express a wide range of emotions and experiences. It was hard and I spent much of the year feeling as if I was barely hanging on. Despite that feeling, I continued to love learning Spanish. I had the most wonderful teacher and great classmates.

As of this writing, I am ending my (second round) fifth week of Spanish 201. It has been such a different experience this time, that I am officially advocating pressing the do-over button when it comes to learning

Why?

1. Repetition and practice are two of the most important components for any kind of learning. Although we are considering my language learning experience, this is the same for things like budgets and annual reviews. For most managers, those things tend to be annual or seasonal in nature and since you don’t work with them all the time, you don’t get to “unconscious competence” without plenty of reps. This also applies to important skills like employee performance management and difficult conversations. These are too critical to do poorly and the only way to mastery is repetition and practice.
2. Knowing what to expect allows you to settle in, exhale and engage differently. Last year, I was plagued by anxiety – about my performance, my grade, you name it. Since I know more about what to expect, I can focus on learning and not my fears. This is why giving people clear instructions, setting expectations and providing things such as policies, procedures and clear visual signage can be so helpful. It allows them to know the rules and borders so they can focus on the right things.
3. New classmates mean new opportunities to connect with others and understand how they learn. It means having interactions with people whose skill levels won’t always match my own. I can help them; they can help me – iron sharpens iron. As a learner, you need opportunities to interact with people above and below your current levels. Not only do you learn with them, you learn from them and everyone grows.
4. There’s new stuff to learn! This applies in a couple of different ways. First, we have reviewed some things that I am certain we covered last year, but I have absolutely no memory of. I mean, we did them, but they (apparently) simply didn’t stick. Also, my professor is very clever, and she keeps things lively with new activities and methods. She is a master class of training techniques and it’s fun to get to sit at her knee again. Remember that any learning is a “NED” – it’s new, emotional and difficult. Because of this, your brain can only take in so much at any given time so it’s likely you missed some content on the first round. Also, a great teacher (who provides safety and validation) is worth their weight in gold and can teach you more than just content, so pay attention!

Now I know that having the chance to do this series of classes again is quite the privilege, but a learning “do-over” can happen in other ways, too. Maybe you review your notes from a conference or certification experience. Perhaps you check in with other learners to find out what takeaways they are using and how successful they have been. Take any opportunity to cover “old ground” again and I guarantee you will find there is always more to learn.

But maybe the biggest learning of all is that the “do over” button, at least to some extent, already exists… you just have to press it.