Rapid Network

Learn faster by preparing your brain to take in the information it needs for the task. This involves providing factual information, preferably within a context, along with priming your emotions for the experience you face. This approach allows you to engage, explore and expand your perception, allowing you a better chance to handle the information inputs appropriately. After all, we are most often learning things in order to use that learning to DO something with it.

If we approached all life events and learning opportunities in such a way, we would be more satisfied that our subsequent behavior and learning outcomes would be appropriate and successful. I'll give an example of a recent 'event' and how this worked for me.

This summer I finally got to experience wild and woolly white water rafting on the Chilko River in B.C. Canada. Brian and Amy, our guides, set the serious tone required to make the event fun. Learning to survive Level 4 & 5 rapids requires preparation, or one could literally be 'dead in the water'. We needed to understand both the overall context of the situation as well as specific actions to take as required by certain circumstances that might arise. So before getting on the river we received some 'brain training' to set the stage for a positive experience.

The 3 groundrules set were:
1) pre-knowledge- use what you already know even if it's your first time rafting (that not-so-commom common sense and transfer of other things you already know to what you are now learning and doing)
2) follow your guides' instructions at all times
3) ultimately you must be responsible for yourself and your own safety

In the event we were forced from our raft our further instructions were to :
- BE COOL
- do NOT stand up in the river or risk getting lodged in the rocks
- swim HARD away from protruding rocks or logjams to the raft or shore, and
- float with the current with feet downstream until an opportunity for rescue arises

Grounded in both a healthy, if fearful, respect for the powerful forces of nature, knowing what to do if tossed from the raft, along with anticipation of the thrill to come, we set off and had a rough and rousing time. Just beautiful, and all the better and safer for the excellent learning ahead of time and expert guidance and collaboration along the way. This was truly 'RAPID' learning!