Every couple of years I go on a “back to basics” mission. I do this when I feeling I’ve gotten too entrenched in thinking a certain way about what I do in my career. For the past few years now I’ve there’s so much stuff happening around web and I’ve become so entrenched in it that I’ve decided it’s time to go back to basics again. Here is my thinking. (mine is decidedly Web focused, but you can substitute my internet, technical based thinking with whatever career/industry you’re in)
- Put yourself in the mindset of 8 year old, who has no preconceptions about how things are in the world and how they should be.
- Recap the history of the Internet. How and Why it all started.
- Search the ‘newbie’ guides to the web, social media or whatever your expertise is. See what the people, who are just learning what your profession and industry is about, are reading and learning. Put yourself in their shoes.
- Slowly link your past experiences and knowledge to the new foundational basics you’ve learned.
I come from a very technical IT background of computer support and web programming, so when I used to do this way back I would try to forget what I thought I knew and go back to reading beginners guides to HTML and OO Programming and stuff like that. I then link those guides with my past experiences and rebuild my knowledge.
Let me know what you think?
I totally get what you are saying. I had to go through this exercise recently not really by choice but same effect though. You realise that you are not only set in certain preconceptions but also expect other to see things the same way.
On point 2: Just don’t you EVER forget that Al Gore invented the Internet!
Is it?
I thought he invented Global Warming
I love computers. I have training in COBOL programming. I worked on the OO environment. I then got myself involved in other businesses away from programming. I would like to go back to write programes. What do I need to do, to get there?
Help me with advices.
Regards,
Vusumuzi