Draw a “virtual reality” version of the future you want to create and contrast it with where you are today.

• Use Part I of a Future Card (in Tools) to help you do this.
  • Make your image as real as possible.
  • Draw on as many senses as possible; show, feel, smell, touch your surroundings
  • Imagine the benefits to you and others
  • Notice how you feel in that future scenario
• Doing this will prompt your non-conscious self to start looking for opportunities to learn that relate to your vision. It will also help motivate your success.

The quality of your learning depends partly on the quality (trustworthiness, relevance, currency, accessibility) of the resources you use. You will probably have to search for the best – and they may not be familiar or in familiar places

• Go to the Search section in this App. You will find the tips, Start with Questions and Ask Scanners. These will help find the best learning resources and experiences. Don’t just take what is accessible or at the top of the search engine list.
• Make a list of the potential learning resources and experiences you might use. Prioritize them. You will probably not use them all or even most of them, but you will have good choices and a good chance of success.

Create and manage a learning journey plan

• Assess how difficult it will be to achieve your future vision. Where is the challenge on this scale of “less or more challenging?” Give your project a difficulty rating from 1 (easier) to 10 (more difficult). The rating scale below will help you do this assessment.

More challenging visions (higher ratings) will require more investment (time, resources, energy, persistence). You will also want to use of more SMART Learning 4.0 Practices.

Most people just plunge into a learning project. But if you take a bit of time to prepare, more of your investment will pay off! So, when you have a big learning goal that will take persistence and effort over time…

• Prepare your Learning environment, tools and materials. Where will you learn? With what available technology and tools? What materials will be at hand (Include your Future Card (in Tools) as a vision reminder)? Remove distractions that will make it difficult to concentrate.
• Identify and record your journey’s dots and dates. What learning resources you will use, when? What will be your learning activities, and when? (E.g., reading, experimenting, workshops, app and online activities). Create a timeline path of your major learning actions on Part II of your Future Card (in Tools). Add to the dots and dates on your Future Card when you discover new learning activities (Dots) to add to your journey.
• Put key events, benchmarks and reminders in on your calendar in your computer and Smartphone.
• Set up your SMART Notes (in Tools).
• Arrange for a learning support system. Tell a partner, colleagues, your manager, a friend about your learning intentions. Ask them to ask about your progress from time to time – or schedule a time to debrief with them.
• Plan to use this SMART Inside App to help you along the way – to concentrate, remember, use resources, successfully transfer your learning to life, and more. Use it as your “just-in-time” learning and development coach.

This is the step where you bring information from outside in. Use the MINE FOR GOLD Tips in this App to help you successfully do this

• Use the tip, Learn from Any Resource, to help you learn in any situation
• Use the tip, Concentrate, to help you focus
• Use the tip, Detect Bias and Truth, to help you be more objective in your learning
• Go for deeper learning with Mine for Deeper Gold

Use the LEARN TO LAST tips in this App to help you make your learning “permanent.” These steps help move your new capabilities from your short-term memory into longer term memories and capabilities:

• Follow the suggestions in the tip, Make Any Learning Stick anytime you learn
• Use the tip, Remember What You are Learning to embed knowledge
• Turn to the tip, Develop a Skill to master intellectual, physical, interpersonal, or self-management processes.
• Use the tip, Update Attitudes and Beliefs to help you adjust your own mindset and assumptions so you can function with the most integrity and become all you can be in a changing world.
• Use the tip, Have Creative Insights to help you turn learning time into creating time.

Bring your learning into your life and work.

• After any key learning experience, complete a Transfer to Life Guide (in Tools) to help you plan to successfully move what you’ve learned into real life. It will help you:
  • Update your Future Vision – your Future Card (in Tools)
  • Assess the energy field for support and barriers
  • Create “if/when….then….” scenarios to help you pinpoint when you will use your learning
  • Get allies so that there is support through the fragile early moments of change
  • Arrange reminders and reinforcers. Put them on your calendar.

If you want to change a habit or adopt a new one, use the tip Change or Replace a Habit. It will guide you to success. There is also a Tool – Create or Change a Habit. Download and use the tool to plan how you will succeed.