There is a big difference between the way hummingbirds and lions nourish themselves.
Lions typically hunt their prey at night. They kill a large animal, feed on it, and stay satisfied for a long while. Hummingbirds go back and forth to the nectar several times an hour. Over and over, hummingbirds get a bit of food and keep on flying.
Leaders need to learn like hummingbirds, staying fresh and nourished by consistent small bites. Living on new ideas and insights from long ago won’t work. We must stay fresh. We must keep filling our tanks.
We must also learn as we live life. It would be nice to put everything on hold while we master a skill or concept, but life keeps going. Successful people in this day and age are able to break down and rebuild with what they’ve learned, all while continuing to fly.
This habit of learning is especially true for those who serve in ministry, who publicly preach and teach on a regular basis. One preacher put it this way: “When I preach, I want to serve fresh bread.” This means continually learning and not relying on thoughts and inspiration from past years.
To stay fresh and up to date, we must find time to learn a little each day. That requires being intentional.
Here are nine ways you can routinely learn and grow a little each day:
1. Read a little each day.
I have noticed two types of book readers: those who read several books at once and those who read one book at a time. I belong to the first group. The benefit I see is that a book is always around to read. I keep books on my nightstand, near the recliner, in my car, at the office, etc. When I have a few minutes, I read a chapter. One of my goals over the last couple of years has been to read a book every week. I accomplish this by reading a little each and every day.
2. Listen to audiobooks.
Listening to books is a great way to learn. Depending on the length of your commute or how much time you spend running errands or exercising, you can get a lot of “reading” done by listening each time you jump into your car or work out. Apps like Audible are great subscription services for audiobooks. A friend downloads books through the library on the Hoopla app. You can also go to the library and pick up an audiobook and listen to it each day. My drive to work is about 4 minutes, so it takes a while to get through a book, but a little each day adds up.
3. Stay connected in Scripture.
Read the Bible each day. It’s now easier than ever with phone apps and emailed devotions. I want to be careful here because I believe it’s important to have times for Bible study, and we don’t want to live on a random-verse diet. But in addition to your daily Bible reading plans, having the “verse of the day” pop up on your phone at various times is a small yet powerful way to stay rooted and grounded. Often, that one verse speaks to something that I am thinking about or going through.
4. Listen to podcasts.
Podcasts are typically short bursts centered on a single idea or theme. Podcasts are free and abundant – you can pick any subject. Podcast choices are endless for ministry leaders and leadership in general. I typically listen to a couple each day. With most podcast apps (and with Audible and other audiobooks), you can double the speaking speed, which cuts the listening time in half. Your brain gets used to the chipmunk sound surprisingly fast and you are able to digest more in short spurts. I listen to two thirty-minute podcasts per day in just thirty minutes. When I’m mowing, I can get several in.
5. Ask good questions.
Become great at asking questions. This will prompt you to become a listener. Listeners learn. It’s more important to be interested than to be interesting. Asking questions can help you learn bite-sized information all day long. Make it your goal to find out something new from someone today by asking questions.
6. Spend time thinking.
Take time to think. We are all thinking during the course of a day, but we don’t always have time to think strategically. Think through a decision you will make. Think through how you will accomplish something. Spend some time each day thinking about what you are trying to accomplish and what needs to be done. At times, when I have to get my head cleared to jump start a project or to switch gears, I take a quick walk around the office and those few moments of thinking help me become more focused.
7. Watch webinars and videos.
Countless webinars and teaching videos are available. You can learn with a click of the mouse or a tap on your phone screen. I’ve fixed our dishwasher and garage door opener after watching video tutorials on YouTube. Short videos and webinars are like having a mentor right beside you – take advantage of them.
8. Attend short training conferences.
Any conference is an investment, but they don’t have to be long or expensive. If you hear of a conference or training event near you, try to attend. Investing a morning or evening in a setting with others is a great way to learn and spur on thoughts and ideas. Don’t be one of those folks who always tries to go, but something always comes up. Decide to attend, register, commit, and attend. You can change plans if something comes up, but that shouldn’t be the norm.
9. Meet with others for discussion and growth.
One big benefit to meeting with others is the opportunity it affords us to process what we have learned. We may eat like a hummingbird – a little knowledge here and there all day, but when we share info with others, we shouldn’t be stingy. We should be generous in offering thoughts and ideas. Meeting with others provides an opportunity to process what we have been learning, and we keep learning and growing through our interactions.
Don’t be content with what you learned long ago. Learn something new today. Develop disciplines of bite-sized learning. Get into the habit of eating like a hummingbird.
