The sidewalk is lava. Time to learn parkour.
It's giving self-directed learning + my second experiment
If you’re new here, you must know I am using my newsletter to run experiments I am curious about. The first was called “Pour Your Soul,” and it was centered around sharing and connection.
Today, aligned with the topic of this post, I am launching something I wanted to do for a while now: my personal Learn-a-thon.
I call this experiment “Highly Unqualified.”
Scroll to the bottom to see what it is and how you can join me.
At first, schools, and later corporate learning programs, teach us to navigate the world in a straight line: follow the curriculum, attend the sessions, do all the homework, take the test, get the grade, finish the course. Pre-defined outcomes and risk avoidance are rewarded. Failure is punished. We’re all taught to walk one after the other on a safe sidewalk.
What they fail to mention is how this safe sidewalk path looks nothing like real life. Real life is more like a chaotic cityscape that’s ever-changing. A road you used to walk yesterday might be completely torn down under construction today. There are roadblocks and uncovered sewage holes at each turn. It’s big, hasty, confusing, and unpredictable. And it sure doesn't come with instructions.
The World Economic Forum predicts that between 2025 and 2030, 39% of our existing skill sets will be transformed or outdated (The Future of Jobs Report 2025). That’s nearly half of today’s core skills. Automation and AI are rewriting jobs in real time.
To me, it looks like the sidewalk we were taught to walk on is lava the whole damn pavement is lava! (Yes, exactly like the game.) Obediently following that linear path forward and failing to change course, adapt, climb, or jump will end with us falling into this lava, and her name is ‘obsolescence.’
The system is designed for certainty and predictability, not curiosity and ambiguity.
We are taught to walk on sidewalks while life expects us to parkour.
Now what?
It's giving self-directed learning. 😎
Parkour athletes (or traceurs) don’t wait for an invitation or permission to move. They don’t need someone to lay out an instruction manual. Every movement is an experiment. Problem-solving in real-time. Barriers become opportunities. Walls become launch pads, railings become balance beams, and rooftops become playgrounds. A missed landing or a fall are not dead ends. They are feedback loops. It teaches them what to do differently next time.
You won’t find a traceur training in the gym to prepare for the city, following a lengthy technique explanation by an expert, or tracing the jumps’ trajectories down on paper. You’ll find them on the streets, jumping. The city is the training ground. Learning happens through action, and in the same environment, performance is expected. This is pretty much like learning in the flow of work we all struggle with in the workplace.
Parkour isn’t just a movement. It’s a mindset.
In the learning world, this mindset is known as self-directed learning.
Like parkour athletes, self-directed learners develop the ability to adapt, pivot, and reimagine their surroundings. They take ownership of their development and career progression, fueled by curiosity and the thrill of learning something new. They see possibilities where others see walls and trust themselves to figure things out mid-air.
The World Economic Forum places creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, agility, curiosity, and lifelong learning on the list of fastest-growing skills by 2023, right after AI, big data, and cybersecurity. The high-performers of the future won’t be the ones with the most expertise in a single domain but those who can quickly assess the changing landscape and adjust their approach. It’s the era of self-directed, active, life-long learning, and those who commit to this mindset and practice will adapt to this new landscape.
If the floor is lava, and the only way to parkour is to learn and upskill constantly, then waiting for someone to craft a learning journey for you to follow sounds irresponsible.
Let’s have a closer look at this together. 🔎
What distinguishes self-directed learners? 🧭
—They are driven by curiosity, not compliance.
Imagine taking a fall, over and over again, yet continuing to get up, scrapped knees and all, eyes alive with possibility, muscles tense with the anticipation of success.
Traditionally, corporate learning is pretty static. Employees are expected to step away from work, attend a structured course or program, and then return to apply what they’ve learned. Knowledge is being delivered to be received, often without being asked for.
A self-directed learner sees knowledge as something to be explored. The world is not a course to be sponged in. It’s a landscape waiting to be discovered. This shift in perception is everything.
Curiosity-driven learning activates the brain’s reward system, making information more likely to stick. When we remove the script and stop telling people exactly how, when, and what to learn, the brain shifts from passive consumption to active exploration. Next thing you know, learning is a form of play instead of a chore.
But curiosity alone won’t do it…
—They take ownership of their learning journey and actively shape it
Don’t be fooled by those telling you learning should be made easy. Learning something new is hard and requires patience and commitment over time.
Richard Boyatzis encapsulates this ownership of the learning process into the so-called Intentional Change Theory, which has five stages:
First, you envision who you want to become.
Second, you unpack who you are right now, identifying the overlaps between who you are and who you want to become while spotting the gaps.
Next, you create a learning and growth plan to capitalize on your strengths while reducing your gaps. You define steps, milestones, levels, or goals and then commit to them. This plan is like a cognitive roadmap for your journey.
Now, you can intentionally implement your plan through experimentation. Try new things, research, reflect, seek feedback, and allow yourself to make mistakes.
Lastly, you ensure that in all of the previous stages, you build relationships that can support you with guidance and encouragement. Seek mentors, collaborate with peers, and tap into the supportive power of communities and networks.
To persist in this process, having the autonomy to set our own learning goals is crucial. This allows us to tap into our intrinsic motivation to keep us going (Ryan and Deci, 2000).
“Purposeful action in human beings is volitional. Thus, people must choose to discover what is beneficial to their welfare, they must set goals to achieve it, they must choose the means for attaining these goals, and then they must choose to act on the basis of these judgments.”—Locke and Latham, 1991
Self-directed learners recommit over and over again to the things they want to learn. When they set goals, the more specific and challenging they are, the higher their performance and the likelihood they’ll persist in pursuing them. (Locke and Latham, 1991).
The good news doesn’t stop here. Neuroscience has found that active learning—where we explore, make our own decisions, set our own challenges, and test solutions—enhances neuroplasticity (Ericsson et al., 2007; Dubinsky and Hamid, 2024) and cognitive flexibility (Spiers & Maguire, 2007). Unlike passive absorption, self-directed learning nudges the brain to create new neural pathways, strengthening our adaptability and problem-solving skills.
—They have a bias to action.
We’ve been conditioned into this idea of 'readiness’. School asks us to prepare and be ready for the tests, and workplace learning requires us to understand a topic before applying it. This readiness we’re all waiting for is often an illusion.
In reality, we don’t act because we understand. We understand because we act. We will never be ready. Most of the time, action precedes clarity. The Active Inference Theory (Friston et al., 2016; Clark, 2015) sees our brains as prediction machines, constantly anticipating sensory input from the world. When these predictions are wrong, we update them by moving, testing, and engaging with the world. Learning happens through doing, not before doing.
We know that learning in rapid cycles of action, reflection, and iteration works. (Kolb, 1984). That’s precisely how traceurs train: they jump, adjust and refine as they practice. They don’t master a move in theory first, practice later. This is why they can confidently move forward even when a grippable wall on a sunny day becomes slippery when it rains.
Learning science calls this structured, feedback-driven, and iterative learning process “deliberate practice”:
“What consistently distinguished elite surgeons, chess players, writers, athletes, pianists, and other experts was the habit of engaging in "deliberate" practice-a sustained focus on tasks that they couldn't do before. Experts continually analyzed what they did wrong, adjusted their techniques, and worked arduously to correct their errors. […] Not all practice makes perfect. You need a particular kind of practice – deliberate practice – to develop expertise. When most people practice, they focus on the things they already know how to do. Deliberate practice is different. It entails considerable, specific, and sustained efforts to do something you can’t do well – or even at all.”—The Making of an Expert, by Ericsson, Prietula, and Cokely (HBR, 2007).
Deliberate practice forces us to operate at the fringes of our abilities or the so-called stretch zones. Here, mistakes still happen while learning accelerates, which brings us to the next point…
—They use failure as fuel.
We learned that making mistakes results in a bad grade, bad feedback, or a bad reputation. So, we perceive mistakes as inefficiencies that need to be corrected. Our whole lives, we’ve been taught to reduce the risk of failure, to play safe, and to stay in our lane on our smooth and safe sidewalk.
In a future workplace where routine, predictable tasks are automated and improved by AI, what remains valuable for us humans? My bet is on our ability to navigate the uncertain and unknown. In that context, failure is not only inevitable, it becomes the fuelling force that asks us not to give up. Unsurprisingly, that is the muscle that risk aversion atrophied in most of us. The good news is that, like any muscle, our ability to take risks, experiment, fail and adapt can be trained.
When a traceur miscalculates a jump and falls, their brain registers it as feedback, not failure. This activates the dopamine reward system, which fuels motivation and learning (Schultz, 2016). Every future attempt improves accuracy and efficiency. The same principle applies to intellectual risk-taking. When we tackle a challenge outside our comfort zone, our brains release dopamine, reinforcing the effort and making us more likely to persist. In other words, learning accelerates when failure is normalized as part of the process.
—They look for guidance when they encounter rough terrain.
You’ll rarely see a traceur training alone. They practice in small groups alongside people with different levels of competence. They watch, imitate, ask questions, encourage, and give each other tips all the time.
We are wired to learn socially. Mirror neurons fire when we observe and imitate others like they would if we performed the action directly (Rizzolatti et al., 1996; Rizzolatti, Craighero, 2004). Observation becomes a form of practice, and self-directed learnings develop an inclination toward seeking answers, best practices, and inspiration from others. They work with mentors, coaches, and peers who act like accountability partners. Often, you’ll find them in communities of practice, exposing themselves to different levels and layers of the craft they are trying to master.
A holistic model for self-directed learning? 👀
The more time you have to peel this onion, the more layers you’ll find. I almost didn’t finish this post because there is SO MUCH to explore around this topic. Studies are being done, and findings are released weekly, providing fresh insights into how our brains work and learn.
Yet, while researching, I kept being reminded of this fantastic learning model, which Traian Bruma, the founder of the Alternative University in Bucharest, taught me. This model explains how learning happens naturally.
Traian calls it “Learning as a spinning top.”
In 2022, L&D Shakers hosted Learning Fest: A space for us to deconstruct self-directed learning and explore its elements through a playful and immersive online experience. The entire design was centered around Traian’s model, and you can explore the Miro board here.
The model has four areas that all contribute to how we naturally learn:
The Arena is that space in the learning process where we do something new or challenging. Guiding questions are:
—What kind of practice and how much of it will drive your learning?—Where do you get feedback to know you are moving in the right direction?
The Fireplace is where we pause to reflect—alone or with others—to make sense of our experience and extract insights. Guiding questions are:
—What kind of regeneration process do you need before returning to action?—Where do I get ideas, insights, and inspiration from?
The Tower is where we set our intentions, clarify our goals, and gain perspective on our learning journey. The invitation here is:
—What do you need to learn, and how will you learn it?The Roots are the source of our growth, our inner strength, and the support we draw from the world around us. The guiding question is:
—How do you harvest energy for the learning process?
It’s a balance between doing + reflection + goal setting + regeneration and rest.
Why a spinning top?
Dynamic and self-driven learning needs a balance between the action space (The Arena) and the reflection space (The Fireplace). We need to be immersed in the mess of action AND pull back to make sense of it.
When the spinning top slows, we don’t just watch it wobble. We grab it at the top (The Tower), give it a fresh spin (our intentions, plans and goals), and make sure it lands on a foundation, a grounding (The Roots). Without alignment, our plans can spin off track, no matter how much momentum we give them.
If you are curious about Traian’s work with the Alternative University, Dinye and I interviewed him for the UNSCRIPTED Podcast, and you can listen back to this inspiring project, where he tested this learning model at scale. Spotify + Apple Podcasts.
Let’s open the toolbox, shall we? 🧰
How to build your Tower?
You aim to reflect on where you are and where you need to go, define a clear learning goal, and design a strategy to move forward with intention.
—Do a self-reflection to bring blind spots into awareness with the Johari Window.
—Regularly reflect on your current status quo, set learning and growth goals, and devise plans to get there. Use or combine elements from these career path Miro boards: The Career Plane, Career Development Canvas, Career Discovery Template, and Career Development Canvas.
You can also download the free 2025 Goal Guide designed by Tracy Clark from Building Thinkers.
How to build your Arena?
You aim for exposure to the content, practice, and people already doing what you are trying to learn.
—Join a community of practice in the field you are trying to learn about. Bonus points if, on top of participating, you raise your hand to contribute or lead a small hands-on project with other members.
—Start a personal learning challenge: for 30 or 100 days, take a small action related to what you want to learn. Bonus points if you “learn out loud” and document your progress publicly.
—Find a Mentor. If you work in L&D, check out L&D Shakers’ free Mentoring Program. Explore ADPList free mentoring if you work in design, product, marketing, engineering, or data science.
—Expose yourself to a one or several-day conference or festival in that field.
—Volunteer for an NGO that does work in the field you are interested in.
How to build your Fireplace?
You aim to design pockets of rest, reflection, and research to sense-make, reinforce, and refine the lessons you learn in the Arena.
—Launch a small “study group” with people looking to learn what you are learning;
—Start an Action Learning Set: find a step-by-step guide on how to run them here and here.
—Find an accountability buddy;
—Start a book club, podcast, or newsletter on the topic of interest;
—Build your second brain to document content, insights, and reflections into a centralised digital repository you can easily access.
How to grow your Roots?
You aim to build resilience as you learn to keep going even when you lack the energy, confidence, or courage for the next step.
—If you feel drained, disconnect. Meditate, go for a walk, do breathwork, spend time outdoors, talk to someone you find inspiring, or find a cozy corner where you can rest and recharge. Ask yourself: What can I tweak in my environment to set the right conditions for learning?
—If you feel frustrated, learn to love the process, not only the outcome. Ask yourself: What would it take for me to be fascinated by the obstacles I encounter?
—If you lack confidence, be kinder to yourself. Ask: How can I cultivate a kinder relationship with my 'weak' side?
What does all this mean for L&D? 💡
Now that lifelong learning, agility, and curiosity have landed on the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report, it won’t be long until someone from the executive team comes knocking asking for training on these topics. 😆 (Don’t laugh, you know it’s true!)
Except when they do, you’ll be ready to throw the whole “training is the sidewalk, and what we’re trying to do here is called parkour” story at them and rub some evidence-based solutions in their faces. HA! 🤸♀️
Here are five ideas you could tinker with:
Communities of Practice:
I find that communities of practice create the perfect learning playground, allowing members to be a little bit bolder with their experiments and take risks in safe environments. When done well, they can enable social and peer learning like few other structures. I regularly share thoughts, learnings, and insights on this topic on LinkedIn. If you are looking for a place to start, check out this article on the six mindset shifts organisations should go through before launching internal communities. I also wrote about the transformations they can foster within organisations in this article and how we can measure their impact here.Action Learning Sets:
In an organisational setting, an Action Learning Set (ALS) is a group of people that meet with the specific intention of solving workplace problems. It’s a conversation that allows the group to stop and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities they are working with. Find a practical, step-by-step guide on how to run them here and here.Design “development in work”:
Antonia Onaca published a fantastic article on the alternative to Individual Development Plans that usually fail to translate into actual development. Instead, Antonia proposes to design development in work a mix of deliberate practice, reflection, exposure to expertise, and narrated experience.Skill Sprints across functions:
Short challenges embedded into work around a real problem to be solved, during which employees research, test, experiment, apply, and iterate solutions, allowing them to test their skills in real scenarios.Internal marketplace:
Creating project-based gigs within the organisation to allow employees to apply for temporary projects that stretch their skills in new directions. Bonus points if the platform is powered by AI that can recommend gigs based on their skill set, development goals, and evolving expertise. Listen to a case study from Schneider Electric and one from MetLife.
No matter what learning experience you are designing, here are some guiding questions as you think about this in your work context:
—How might we co-design learning with our colleagues to focus on the things that really matter to them?
—How might we anchor each learning solution into goal setting and intention?
—How might we design less prescriptive learning and invite exploration through curiosity?
—How might we design for active learning, not passive absorbtion?
—How might we encourage and reward trying and experimenting as equally valuable to getting it right?
—How might we embed pockets of self- and peer reflection into the solutions we design?
—How do we punctuate active learning with moments of rest and regeneration?
Join my Learn-a-thon: Highly Unqualified
Between March 10th and March 14th, I am opening up my agenda to anyone willing to teach me something related to:
—Immersive Experiences and Experience Design
—Art applied to learning, community-building, or experience design
—Art education innovation projects and creative education projects
—Future Thinking, Foresight
—Behavioural Change interventions
—Co-design projects
—Social Innovation projects
—Systemic Design projects
—Organisational Innovation and Transformation projects
—Center of Excellence Projects
—Enablement of Extended Leadership Teams
The calls:
—Calls will last 30 minutes.
—You can bring a concrete tool or framework, a concrete case study or body of work you’ve done, your notes from a book, article, or course you took, or share stuff that fascinates you about the topic.
—You won't try to sell me anything.
I’ll reflect on each conversation, draw insights relevant to my personal and professional goals, and then share what I have learned in an upcoming IRrEGULAR LEtTER.
If this sounds fun, you can book your slot here—first come, first served until my agenda is full.
Alright, folks, that’s it for now. ✌️
Until next time, stay curious out there!
Anamaria
THIS >>>> In reality, we don’t act because we understand. We understand because we act. We will never be ready. Most of the time, action precedes clarity.
Damnnn I love this experiment <3