Marechal de Saxe, a Marshal of France during the Ancien Regime of the 1700s, said, “In default of knowing what should be done, they do what they know.”

A lot of people still take that road today. Just go along … do only as much as you need to … no need to think outside the box. But, what was true back in eighteenth-century France is true now: the only way we can improve ourselves, our jobs, or our lives is to learn more about what should be done.

We’re already pretty good at what we do. On active duty, we advanced with appropriate time in grade. In our civilian jobs, we get the annual pay raise, maybe a little more. Things are going alright. The extra effort to get to “the next level” simply doesn’t seem worth it. Heck, you already have two cars in the garage, maybe a pension from 20 years of service. Why work harder than you have to?

Besides, during the course of learning more about what we do, we may learn that the way we have been doing things is not the best way. Then, we have to face up to the fact that we were not all right, all the time. We may have to admit we were wrong about some things. I don’t like to make that admission and — unless I’m wrong — you probably don’t, either.

I’ve found that a little bit of humility goes a long way, and people are often willing to help if you just ask them. It’s okay to say we don’t know what should be done. Others have been watching you, following what you’ve been doing. They may know the better way. If you’re too stubborn to admit that you don’t have all the answers, you’re going to alienate folks who could help you truly succeed.

Today, I asked a Presentation Skills Consultant to watch me speak in a few weeks, and to tell me the good and the bad of how I’m doing. I am not looking forward to half of his report, but I know I’ll use the critique to make myself better at what I do. It may be only 1 percent better, but by repeating this cycle of learning, I improve my life every time.

The definition of insanity is to do the same thing again and again, and expect different results. The only possible way to break this cycle is to not do the same thing. And the best way to do that is to learn new things. Sure, as you learn new things, you’ll make mistakes and have some setbacks that make the old way seem better — don’t give in! These new skills, new behaviors, and new ideas are already leading you to a brighter future.

Wally Adamchik is the President of FireStarter Speaking and Consulting, a national leadership consulting firm based in Raleigh, NC. You can visit the website at www.beafirestarter.com or email him at wally@beafirestarter.com. His new book is No Yelling (www.noyelling.net) is available online.