We are in a digital age where something new is invented by the minute and we can spend our days just figuring out yet another new technology or a new way of doing things – smart phones, tablets, and electronic readers to name a few. Perhaps, you have resisted these changes with the idea that ‘if it ain’t broke why fix it?’ until of course it’s too late and what ever it is has now become a relic of the past. The truth is the world is constantly evolving probably faster now than ever. Much of the new ways of doing things involves a fresh look at learning, as well as information and our way of engaging both.

Moving from Paper to Bytes: The other day a colleague of mine and I were discussing the futility of making a manual for any new thing the organization is putting in place. If you don’t have a manual every one of a certain age, asks for it, and the lack of a manual becomes the reason and frustration about why no one can learn the new thing going on. However, when someone does take the time to document the miniscule steps involved in a new procedure and produces the PDF version and the paper version, it’s intended use is rare. Mostly it becomes scrape paper for telephone messages, or takes up room in a piece of furniture nearing extinction – the filing cabinet. Have you noticed this sort of scenario in your life?

Often, our reluctance to learn new ways of doing things and integrating digital versions of it has to do with learning over-load and the lack of time to integrate one more new thing in our system. While I generally love learning something new, I too have found myself signing up for the ‘new thing’, getting the username and password, reading the orientation pages, and then running out of time, promised myself I would return to do the next step. However, if I don’t return very soon, chances are good I never will or worse, if I do, I sign up all over again as I don’t recall being there before!

One of the finer points of being aligned for the energy of Mercury going retrograde is that it naturally prompts us to take integration time and review all of the new things we’ve been busy with in our lives. It’s a great time to actually read the new version of a manual, to play with the options of your new gizmo, to figure out all it can do for you. It’s a great time to practice learning these things and to reflect on the actual HOW of your learning – because that too may be changing. For example, I recently received a Kobo Vox (like Kindle Fire) as wonderful gift. I wasn’t sure that I would like reading a book on it. What I discovered was that it was not only a different experience, but I actually read faster! On reflection, my reading style has definitely changed. Would love to know if there is research on this, but what I think is happening is that instead of ‘reading’ each word left to right as with a paper document, I am taking in the page like a picture which is faster. Once I noticed this peculiarity of reading on a device, I found myself now actively engaged in acquiring books and resorting to my new toy whenever I get a moment.

How will you leverage this Mercury retrograde? According to Julie Simmons, this particular retrograde sends us frequencies for revelation, confrontation and a learning curve. Ask yourself what new insights have occurred for you? What is it that you need to confront? What learning curves are you willing to undertake during this retrograde? Maybe you would like to better understand all the great features on your smart phone, learn how to blog or use the new Google Plus social media. What ever it is, align with Mercury retrograde and fearlessly move ahead.

What are your revelations, confrontations or learning curves this Mercury retrograde?

Carolyn