Have You Hit a Ceiling of Complexity?

Last week’s tip focused on embracing a love of learning in adult life. Let’s briefly continue that thought.

I remember hearing a friend and successful lawyer / dad say on the eve of his little one starting first grade that his hope for his son was that he could catch a love of learning early in life. I mentioned this to my mom, a career educator and principal of an award-winning elementary school and she quietly commented, “That’s what we wished for all of them.”

Recently, I was talking with an immigrant friend who was starting some English classes. She was beyond excited. She was overwhelmed with joy as she talked about going to class. I found myself swallowing hard and pausing: to see an adult’s excitement over learning something I take for granted…my language.

Dan Sullivan, one of the earliest coaches to entrepreneurs defined what he calls the “Ceiling of Complexity” which means that we all hit our level of understanding on any given topic. We know we’ve hit our ceiling when we wake up one day and realize that what has always worked for us is not working anymore. This ceiling of complexity is inevitable and applies to all aspects of our lives – our businesses, our communication abilities and our relationships, just to name a few.

The remedy? Learn something new! Learn new ways of thinking, new tools, new ways of communicating and new ways to express ourselves. 

What about you? Have you hit a ceiling of complexity anywhere in your life? Is there something new you need to learn? Can you embrace this learning with an “I can” energy?

If you stumble over your answer, don’t hesitate to reach out. As always, I welcome your feedback and thoughts.