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Experience is a currency that cannot be bought.
Take, for example, a person fresh out of university. She may be equipped with loads of knowledge acquired through study. But when she begins a new job, she quickly encounters situations that textbooks never prepared her for.
Through patience, on-the-job learning, and lived experiences, she builds skills that only time can teach.
When I started out in IT over twenty years ago, I didn’t have the experience I now carry. Those lived lessons shape not only how I approach the technical side of my work, but also the human side of it.
There’s a level of confidence that two decades of knowledge gives you — one that isn’t available to someone at the beginning of their career. It’s a fact that may be hard for younger professionals to swallow.
But here’s the real question: how do you ensure that you use experience to solve everyday problems? How do you maximize your experience so it serves you best and consistently sets you apart?
Better still, how do you keep building while fully applying the lessons you’ve already gained — turning them into a reliable tool for today?
Based on my personal experience, here are seven ways to achieve that.
1. Never Waste an Opportunity to Learn
There are two ways to respond to an unpalatable circumstance:
- Cry “why me” and fall apart.
- Or, evaluate the root cause, find a solution, and most importantly, learn from the experience.
Imagine the difference it makes when you begin to see learning opportunities in every situation.
I apply this principle daily. Years ago, I made some choices that seemed fine at the time. However, as time passed, I realized they weren’t the best.
I had to make the tough decision to reverse course.
The real win wasn’t simply correcting the mistake — it was making a mental note never to repeat those same choices.
Setbacks can become raw material for wisdom if you approach them with curiosity instead of defeat. See opportunities for learning in all situations — positive or negative.
2. Document, Document, and Document
We live in a time of what I call digital tools overload.
I’m fortunate to have lived in a world before this explosion of tools — and now, in a world where most of us have a computer, with a myriad of apps, right in our pocket.
For example, I documented the first draft of this very article while cycling home from work. I stopped safely, pulled out my phone, opened Google Keep, and started typing. Twenty years ago, that wouldn’t have been possible.
That’s why I believe none of us has an excuse to let experiences slip away. Writing them down makes them indelible. A lived experience that isn’t captured risks being forgotten.
I apply this discipline at work as well. I’m a strong believer in writing how-to guides. They serve two purposes:
a) I can refer back to them when a similar problem arises, resolving it faster.
b) My colleagues benefit from my documentation as well, multiplying its impact.
This practice saved me this past week. About three weeks ago, I responded to a request to complete a specific task.
The request was to complete the task in a development environment. At the time, I didn’t know how to complete the task, so I reseated and figured it out.
But here is the real kicker: I documented the steps immediately.
A few weeks later, the same task came my way – this time, I was required to complete it in the production environment. Because I had documented the steps, I completed the task in under three minutes.
Documentation, whether in personal notes or shared guides, ensures that the lessons of today serve us tomorrow.
So my advice: document, document, document.
3. Map Previous Situations to Current Ones
Experience-based problem-solving is only helpful if you can apply it to current challenges. The way to do that is by mapping — linking past experiences to present situations.
Here’s a small, personal example: I once struggled with razor bumps after shaving. One day, I remembered how I used a certain aftershave to resolve a similar issue years earlier. I applied the aftershave and it solved the problem.
Another example, this time from work: I had to manage workgroup Azure VMs that weren’t joined to a domain. At first, it appeared to be an obstacle. Then I recalled how I’d used PowerShell to execute commands locally in other contexts. I mapped that knowledge to the current problem and used a tool in Azure to run PowerShell commands.
By mapping the knowledge I utilized in a previous situation into the current one, what seemed impossible became solvable.
Breakthroughs often come from linking the old to the new — drawing lines between seemingly unconnected dots.
4. Apply Your Experience in Everyday Life
Your experience is not limited to your professional world. Apply it everywhere.
Once, I bought a train ticket at work, and as part of my preparation for the journey, I tried to print the ticket at the station, but I couldn’t.
After trying twice, I called the customer service of the website where I bought the ticket. I was told that when I bought the ticket, I selected the wrong option.
I cancelled the ticket and bought a new one, this time ensuring that I selected the right option.
Why is this story relevant?
It is because experience taught me to plan and prepare in advance. If I had left printing the ticket until the morning of my trip, I wouldn’t have had enough time to detect and resolve the mistake with my ticket.
Big or small, personal or professional, experience-based problem-solving is a resource that can save you countless headaches and disappointments
5. Consult People More Experienced than You
Sometimes you’ll face a situation where you don’t yet have the experience to lean on. That’s when you tap into the experience of others.
Throughout my career, I’ve had mentors and colleagues who’ve saved me weeks of struggle simply by sharing a story of how they solved a similar problem.
Similarly, I mentor junior colleagues and share my experience with them. Although junior colleagues must go through the inevitable process of learning from their personal experiences, they can still learn from me while that process is ongoing.
6. Use Research to Verify Your Solution
Maximizing your experience doesn’t mean blindly repeating old answers. Sometimes, what worked ten years ago may not work today.
That’s why pairing your experience with research is critical. If I solve a problem using an old method, I’ll still take a moment to verify whether newer, more effective solutions exist.
This habit has saved me from costly mistakes. Experience gives you confidence, but research gives you confirmation.
7. Don’t Be Too Afraid of Failure to Act
The final — and perhaps most important — principle: don’t let the fear of failure stop you from moving.
When I lead large-scale server migration projects, as I have done numerous times throughout my career, I don’t have the luxury of waiting until I feel completely certain. At some point, after making due preparations, I must act, utilizing my experience to the best of my ability while being prepared to adjust if things go awry.
Put it this way: failure is not final, but inaction often is.
Conclusion
Using experience to solve everyday problems is not about what happened to you — it’s about what you do with it. The knowledge you carry from yesterday becomes your compass for today, if you choose to apply it. By learning, documenting, mapping, sharing, verifying, and daring to act, you transform experience-based problem-solving into a habit, not just a memory.
The real danger is not in lacking experience — it’s in neglecting the one you already have.
As Maya Angelou once said, “When you know better, do better.”
The challenge I’ll leave you with is this: will you let your experiences fade into the background, or will you maximize them so they become your most significant advantage?
