What's the hurry to "get there"? Check-in. Have you ever found yourself saying: As soon as I figure this out I'll...Or then I'll do that. I just want to *you fill in the blank* and then I can...
You act as if when you get something figured out then everything else will be great. Here's a news flash for you...it's not necessarily true! It's actually the process that provides the satisfaction. Not the trophy.
Patience is underrated especially when you’re growing a skill.
Why are we less likely to be patient when we're trying to learn a new skill?
Learning something new can be awkward.
We want to skip the discomfort of being "new" at something.
Our brains want us to stay as we are so they fight change and that can make being patient a challenge.
We underestimate the power of small consistent steps when it comes to gaining expertise.
Here's some food for thought: Have you ever considered that rushing through slows you down?
How?
When you're rushing through you're more likely to miss the small details, the low-hanging fruit. The information that's just out there, right beyond your grasp. All of that information that's always around you that you're not noticing because you're in such a hurry to "get it done"!
Impatience. Why are we impatient to get to the finish line? My guess (and full disclosure here, my own personal experience) is to avoid the discomfort of learning something and not being good at it yet. That sometimes flailing feeling when you're not competent at something and you really want to be. The "in-between" time, you know...the messy middle where you're practicing and failing and tripping over your own feet..until you're not. That feeling.
When you don't know something and you're trying to learn, your brain is trying to point back toward the status quo. It's real. It wants you to stay the way you are...keep being predictable. That in and of itself is a challenge.
I don't know about you but I like to know things and when I'm learning and not where I wanna be, it feels really frustrating and sometimes, a little scary.
The power of patience. What's the value of taking a breath to consider all options, all angles and not simply acting in haste to get to the end, to get to the finish line?
Are you ready?
Let’s get to it…
Your challenge…
If you're in the midst of learning a new skill. No matter what it may be, take a pause to do some reflecting. It's easy to forget what it's like to learn something new and you can underestimate the time it took. Sometimes it’s useful to think about a skill you're already proficient at. Maybe it's making great espresso, riding a bike, doing the perfect backflip, or active listening, something that you do without much thought now.
Think back and reflect on the process you went through to get there. All the steps you had to take. The failures and setbacks. All of it. Reaching your goals gives you a chance to notice the patterns that emerge when you’re working hard towards something you want. Noticing the things that got you stuck, and what skills or resources you drew upon to get going again.
At some point, you started with an endpoint in mind, something you wanted. You didn’t have to know every step, it started with the first one. It was all about setting the wheels in motion and, as you continued to take steps, maybe you even had some patience.
Every expert, without exception, started out as a beginner. There may be some shortcuts however, there are still going to be times when you're simply not going to know and you're going to have to be patient and put in the time.
Deciding to make a change or grow a new skill is acknowledging you're willing to be "bad" at something before you get "good" at it. This is something that's not necessarily comfortable however when you want to continue to learn and grow, it's necessary. Putting yourself out there and trying new things, asking questions fumbling, and getting back up again. Showing yourself grace and patience.
I'm a few steps ahead of you, shining some light on the breadcrumb trail for you... Contact me Let's play a bit in the muck!
Warmly,
Ann
Hang on! What’s the hurry?