If you find yourself constantly overwhelmed by systems and tech, frustrated by how little time you have to actually learn new things properly, or blaming yourself for "lacking something" that's holding you back - it might be time for a gentle inquiry into what's really going on beneath the surface.
This worksheet provides dedicated space for you reflect on your educational experiences, choose your micro-move experiment and guide yourself through the process. It's designed to be a flexible, pressure-free container where you can track your discoveries, capture those 'a-ha!' moments, and start building a map of your best conditions for learning and deeply engaging with your work.
Consider it your personal, non-judgmental space to decolonize your approach to learning and business, at your own pace and on your own timeline.
Reflect on your past educational experiences and where you might have formative memories that impacted you more deeply than you realised. Be sure to practice self-care with this exercise.
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What low-grade negative experiences from school led to behaviours that still annoy you in your work today?
Write your answer here…
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Was there a teacher or adult who consistently made learning harder for you?
Write your answer here…
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What specific incident from school do you still remember that directly connects to something you consistently struggle with?
Write your answer here…
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What kept happening throughout your education that made you struggle despite being genuinely smart?
Write your answer here…
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These aren't overhauls or massive commitments. They're small, playful experiments designed to interrupt those old educational patterns and help you reconnect with how you actually learn and work best.
Choose one that feels both slightly scary and oddly exciting.
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Experiment #1: The Learning Conditions Map (low-stakes discovery) Figure out what conditions you need to learn something new.
This might be the best gift you can give yourself - permission to learn your way. Start paying attention: Do you absorb information better through videos or conversation? Do you need silence or background noise? Does your ideal learning environment change based on your mood, the weather, your stress level?
Next time you have an opportunity to learn something new, ask yourself: "What do I need right now to make this easier?" Then give yourself that thing, even if it feels "inefficient" or "silly." Track what works.
Record your results here…
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Experiment #3: The After Action Review (medium-stakes pattern tracking) After each client engagement, document not just what worked but how you showed up.
Were you proud of how you led those strategy calls? Did you shrink when you should have stood firm? This isn't about shame - shame has no place here. This is about noticing the moments when old school patterns resurface. When do you make yourself small? When do you ask permission for your own expertise?
Write it down. Notice patterns. Sometimes just seeing it on paper is enough to start changing it.
Record your results here…
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Experiment #2: The Indisputable Knowing List (medium-stakes validation) Make a list of things you indisputably know about your work based on years of experience.
Dig deep into the complex, nuanced things that consistently work for the people you serve. Turn these into principles or guidelines you can reference when self-doubt creeps in. This isn't about ego - it's about acknowledging the expertise that lives in your bones, the knowledge that no amount of educational trauma can shake.
Keep this list where you can see it. When you catch yourself adding "I think" or "maybe" to something you know for certain, check your list.
Record your results here…
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Experiment #4: The Friction Flip (high-impact pattern interruption) Focus on your biggest friction point and change it completely.
If mornings feel like detention, work at night. If sitting at a desk feels like being trapped, stand at your kitchen counter or sprawl on the floor. If typing feels constraining, voice record everything. Need giant post-its on every wall? Do it. Need to walk while you think? Build it into your pricing.
Pick your most frustrating business task and do it completely differently. Not better, not more efficiently - just different. You're not looking for the "right" way; you're proving to yourself that there are infinite ways and you get to choose.
Record your results here…
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