Willingness gets you in the game but EAGERNESS keeps you in the game. Willingness is showing up. Eagerness is going first. Willingness is waiting for your turn. Eagerness is asking to go again.
When you are eager, you are curious and passionate and focusing on the task is effortless. Willingness, on the other hand, requires paying attention. So, how do you go from being willing to being eager?
- Lean in. Literally, lean further forward, physically choose to experience first and ask questions after.
- Engage and absorb opportunistically. Eagerness happens entirely in the affirmative.
- Be grateful, appreciative, generous, and collaborative.
- Have fun while learning by being a role model for how eagerness begets play.
Eagerness begets play? Yes, because the state of eagerness can bring into existence the experience of play.
PLAY = anticipation + excitement + fun + the outcome is inconsequential.
Therefore, if you are going to deliberately upgrade from willingness to eagerness, you need to enjoy the learning process and demonstrate how the attitude of eagerness gives way to the manifestation of play.
