We’ve all heard that experience is the best teacher.  Unfortunately this maxim is used to justify making mistakes due to insufficient preparation, hasty action, lack of thought, or carelessness.

Although we all should learn from our experiences, both good and bad, there’s no good reason to keep reinventing the wheel.  Rather than learning from your own experiences, it is far more efficient to learn from someone else’s.

Although experience may be a good teacher, someone else’s experience is a far better teacher.  Many other people have been down the route you are traveling.  Although it may not be the exact same path, they have encountered and solved many of the same problems you may be facing.  By using their experiences as a starting point, you accelerate your progress.

Discoveries and inventions develop in this exact fashion.  People start with the existing body of knowledge and then advance from there.  If everyone felt they had to discover everything for themselves, society would never have evolved from the Stone Age.

What about the claim that you just have to figure things out for yourself?  Although self-discovery is beneficial, ignoring proven cause and effect scenarios experienced by others wastes time and is a pathway to frustration.

We attend school to benefit from the knowledge and discoveries of those who have gone before us.  Yet, later in life we revert to figuring things out on our own.  This wastes time and leads to needless frustration. 

There are a variety of ways to learn from someone else’s experience.  Start by reading and researching.  Libraries and the internet are great sources for exploration.  When using the internet, look for recognized and reliable sources.  There’s lots of erroneous information on the web, so be discriminating.

Attend classes.  You have many choices for live or online classes on virtually any subject that interests you.  If you’re so inclined, you can work full or part time on a degree.  Adding academic credentials to your resume is always beneficial.

Find a mentor who is an expert in the area you are interested in.  Offer to volunteer, apprentice, or intern.  Working with an authority in a particular field is a great way to acquire lots of experience quickly.

Observe people who are already where you want to be.  You don’t have to know them personally.  You can read about them, read books and articles they write, or follow media accounts of their exploits. 

Join associations or professional groups in your area of interest.  They are an excellent opportunity to meet and connect with experienced people.  You will have many opportunities to ask questions and attend a variety of educational forums.

Spend time enhancing your experience on a regular basis and you will be surprised how quickly your knowledge grows.  Be proactive.  Go out and find the experience you need.  Practice applying what you learn.  Knowledge is effective only when it’s utilized. 

Make gaining experience a regular part of your routine.  Education is a lifetime pursuit.  Successful people are constantly striving to learn and improve.  They don’t become complacent and neither should you.

Gaining experience is fun.  It keeps your mind sharp.  It makes life more interesting.  As your experience grows, you are in a position to expand on what you have learned.  Other people’s experience provides you with a great foundation from which to reach higher goals.

Don’t waste time learning from your own experiences.  Acquire an edge by learning from what others have already been through.  Whatever your goals may be, there are those who have a lot to teach you because they have already traveled your path.

NOW AVAILABLE:  "Dare to Live Without Limits," the book.  Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write him c/o this paper.  2011 Bryan Golden

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