Are We Learning Yet?
- Steve Biermann
- Feb 12, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 11
Learn From It: The Step That Turns "Aha!" into Real Change | Lifeonomics 52-Week Challenge
Welcome to this week’s step in our year-long journey to live more intentionally.
Last week, we practiced Let It Be—facing the facts of our situations without judgment, without immediately jumping to "fix it." How did that land for you? Did you notice more clarity when you dropped the resistance?
This week, we build on that foundation with the second “L Step”: Learn From It.
In Lifeonomics coaching, "Learn From It" isn’t just about collecting more information. It’s about change. Real, sustainable change. Because simply knowing better rarely leads to doing better—ask any teacher, parent, or anyone who’s ever tried a diet!
Let me share a quick story from my teenage years on the farm. A stray dog wandered in and joined our pack—we named her Chance. She was sweet but had one big issue: she hated the tractor. She’d bark nonstop at Dad while he worked. One day, she got so worked up she lunged and bit the tractor wheel, holding on tight. Dad couldn’t stop in time, and the wheel rolled over her head. Thankfully, the soft ground saved her from serious harm, but wow—it got her attention! She never barked at a tractor again.
Momma looked at her and said, “Looks like Chance really learned her lesson.” And just like that, “Learn From It” was born—because Chance wasn’t about to blow her second chance!
After we Let It Be and accept what’s real, the next move is to learn from it so we can change. Here’s the key truth we stand on: We can only truly change what we control. And control? It’s limited to three things:
Our own thoughts
Our own words
Our own actions
We might influence other people or circumstances, but we don’t control them. Full stop.
That’s where our LIFEtool—the 3 S’s—comes in to help us take charge of those three areas. (We love alliteration because it sticks!)
Systems: Everyday routines that make good choices automatic. Like my simple fix for losing keys: my keyfob lives only on my belt loop or the bedroom wall hook. No more frantic searches—problem solved with one small system.
Strategies: Targeted plans for specific situations. Think of it as your “what if” playbook—you hope you never need your bear-attack strategy, but it’s there if you do.
Structures: Built-in accountabilities that reduce decisions. My team schedules my meetings and appointments, creating structure so I stay focused and productive instead of drifting.
Why does this matter so much? Because without intentional learning and systems, we repeat the same patterns. Recent stats remind us:
It takes a median of 59-66 days (and up to almost a year) to form lasting healthy habits—proof that change is a process, not a quick fix.
Distractions steal about 720 hours of productivity per year per employee, with refocus taking ~23 minutes each time—showing how fragile our control over attention can be without structure.
Over half of parents say screens interfere with family quality time, highlighting how unchecked habits erode what matters most.
The good news? When we learn from our moments and build the 3 S’s around our thoughts, words, and actions, we reclaim control and create real momentum.
This Week’s Challenge: Take inventory. List out the Systems, Strategies, and Structures you already have in your life that support positive thoughts, words, and actions. Celebrate what’s working! Then pick one small area (maybe keys, mornings, family time, or focus) where you can add or strengthen one of the 3 S’s.
Share in the comments or with a friend—what’s one System, Strategy, or Structure that’s already helping you?
We’re in this together. Small, consistent changes compound into a life you love.
Let’s learn, change, and live now.
With you every step.
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