Remember when you learned something new, like riding a bike, playing the piano, or swimming? It seemed so difficult at first. No matter how well you tried, you couldn’t do it right. However, you improved as you practiced the techniques for a few days.
Most things in life are the same. Whether you want to start a business, lose weight, or quit a bad habit, it seems difficult to do these things, especially when starting. Every moment feels like a challenge. You can’t do it the right way.
Some of us quit early because the difficult phase hit us too hard. It feels like you can’t progress in the right direction.
Those who overcome the challenging stage grow further. They can learn, practice, and implement better strategies. They stick around a little longer and trust the process. They aren’t ready to quit and instead remain persistent.
When learning a new skill, like building a website, designing, or writing, I focus on practicing more. I don’t rush to understand everything. Instead, I take each challenge as a learning opportunity. Every article I write helps me learn something new. Every website I build for clients contains something I haven’t done before. Since I love new challenges, I embrace them. And the best part is overcoming them and achieving success.
Whatever it is you are trying to learn, give it time. Practice and persist. Rome wasn’t built in a day. It might take months or even years to become a master at something.
When you first learned to ride a bike, it was highly challenging. You couldn’t get it right, and most importantly, you felt repeated. Yet, you still got up and tried because you wanted to learn. The pleasure of success was worth more than the pain of failure. You figured it out after a few days of practice. Now, you don’t have to make extra effort to ride it. Your subconscious mind works itself and guides you to ride the bike. It seems natural.
What is the most challenging skill you want to learn? Is it public speaking, starting a business, or learning to code? Whatever it is, you can master it.
If you focus on practicing and persisting, you will get better at it. There is no other option but to succeed. During the challenging phase, you lose self-confidence because nothing seems right. It might look like you aren’t progressing much.
Don’t lose hope during such a time. Your self-belief is crucial to get you going. Giving up should not be an option.
Once you get the gist right, things will become easier. You will figure out how things work. Then, you become inevitable. Your knowledge of the subject will do wonders in your life. You won’t require any effort to make it right. It will fall into place by itself.
Your passion for the skill also affects your ability to learn it. For instance, if you love sketching or painting, the setbacks and mess you create will be worth it. It won’t feel like a challenge; you will consider it a fun experience.
Hang in there. Don’t get saddened by your failures and setbacks. Take them as lessons and learning opportunities. Maintain your focus and practice a lot.
“The time that leads to mastery is dependent on the intensity of our focus.” — Robert Greene, Mastery
