Begin with what’s difficult today.

What did you NOTICE: How we learn at Brian Kennedy Learning

Understanding an idea is a beginning. NOTICE helps you connect it with everyday experience: explore what happened, try something manageable and learn from the result. You can move back and forth through these steps.

Here is a fictional example: someone offers advice when you wanted them to listen.

1. N — Notice the momentDescribe what happened before deciding what it means. “They suggested a solution. I felt irritated and stopped talking.”
2. O — Open to understandingExplore your feelings, wishes and possible reasons for your response. “Perhaps I withdrew because I wanted to feel understood before receiving advice.”
3. T — Test the explanationAsk what fits and what needs correcting. “I wasn’t rejecting their help. I wanted listening first.” Another explanation may fit better; you do not have to accept the teaching’s account.
4. I — Initiate a small experimentChoose a manageable response and consider what you expect. “I’ll ask, ‘Could you listen for a few minutes before we discuss solutions?’ I hope that makes my request clearer.” Try this only when the conversation is respectful; if it becomes pressuring, pause or rehearse privately instead.
5. C — Check what happenedNotice the actual result, including disappointment or no change. “They listened briefly, then offered advice again. My request was clearer, but I still felt partly unheard.”
6. E — Extend the learningRevise your understanding and choose what to carry forward. “Asking helped somewhat. Next time, I might agree on when we’ll move from listening to problem-solving.” Return to an ordinary situation and review again; repeating a practice is optional.

You can use a fictional situation, rehearse privately or decide not to experiment. No particular feeling or improvement is required. Noticing sooner, asking for help or recognizing that an exercise does not fit can all be useful outcomes.