Personal growth: Throughout life, in fact, we are continuous students who, with experiences and knowledge transmitted by other authors, are constantly learning and evolving to seek to improve and develop in different areas of our lives, whether in personal, professional relationships or emotional well-being.
Shu-Ha-Ri, I have seen it continuously applied in the agile approach and we can also use it in our daily lives to achieve both professional and personal success. This term is Japanese and refers to the stages of learning and mastery in martial arts, but it also applies to learning general skills and knowledge.
Shu: It is the initial stage in which we look for teachers and mentors to guide us to learn from them, therefore, we must faithfully follow their teachings and learn the basic rules, techniques, and fundamentals without question. At this stage, we focus on following instructions to the letter, practicing repeatedly, and memorizing. That is why, at this stage, we must be humble, be open to learning from others and take advantage of their experience.
Ha: At this stage, we begin to question and challenge the teachings, which leads us to explore different perspectives and seek a deeper understanding of the principles. We must analyze and investigate to find other alternative solutions. We become more creative as we seek to adapt what we learn to fit our needs. During this stage, it is important to question limiting beliefs and face challenges, which implies leaving our comfort zone with the aim of seeking innovation and personal development.
Ri: At this stage we achieve mastery and understanding, which allows us not to follow rigid rules, as practice becomes intuitive and natural. In some cases, we can even modify the rules and create our own original approach. At this stage, we must trust our intuition and inner wisdom, which will allow us to be leaders and pioneers in our field of interest and share our knowledge and experiences with others.
Applying Shu-Ha-Ri to our lives
This approach allows us to have a constant evolution and personal growth. Therefore, we must continue to learn, develop, and adapt as we face life's challenges and opportunities.
To achieve this, it is necessary that we maintain an open mind and are in constant learning, taking advantage of the knowledge that surrounds us and comes from different sources. We must also question our beliefs and evolve so that we can experiment with new ideas and approaches. It is important to develop our expertise by following our own path, in a unique and authentic way in the discipline that interests us. Finally, we must share knowledge to help others on their path of growth and evolution.
It is important to understand that the agile approach like Shu-Ha-Ri allows us to grow gradually, allowing us to enjoy the journey of our lives, a continuous journey full of learning and development, becoming the best version of ourselves at every stage of the growth process.