There’s more value in the process of learning something new than the outcome we can’t envisage.
Most people are not interested in the process, so they put a lot of pressure on themselves to get a perfect outcome.
An outstanding outcome is not guaranteed — only better and repeatable lessons learned.
I’m learning more about writing through practice.
I don’t aim to become a great or perfect writer — but I want to make it a habit. I’m more interested in the daily/weekly practice. I learn from smart and great writers, but I’m learning so much more through applying knowledge.
I used the same approach when I started learning about investing. I opened an investment account and started with Index funds. I then subscribed to many investing newsletters and followed smart investors.
Today, I have diversified my portfolio. I keep making adjustments based on the excellent knowledge I acquire from great investors.
The skin-in-the-game approach (to have a personal stake or investment) allows you to pick up skills quickly because you are interested in your cumulative success.
“Learning enhances practice, but it doesn’t replace it. If performance matters, learning alone is never enough,” says Josh Kaufman, the author of The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything.
If you want to pick up skills fast, instruction alone is not enough.
Embracing the process (and making it a habit) without focusing on the outcome can help you learn anything quicker than you anticipate.
The making of an expert is in the tiny actionable details — the process of creating, designing, painting, writing, illustrating, coding, or simply just taking action almost every day.
Genuine experts are more interested in the practice. The end goal may be a huge motivator, but it’s an illusion if you are not committed to the process.
“Like other world-class performers, Mozart was not born an expert — he became one,” writes K. Anders Ericsson.
If you want to become an Olympics medalist, practicing is not an option — that’s why it’s essential to pick your skill carefully.
If deliberate practice is a chore, you won’t get far.
Herodotus, a Greek writer once said, “Force has no place where there is need of skill.”
I deeply enjoy writing because the process forces me to learn, research, dig deeper and challenge my assumptions. It’s a better approach to feed my curiosities.
By applying what you learn daily/weekly/monthly, you’ll deepen your understanding of the topic or skill you choose and improve your knowledge gaps quickly.
The path to expertise is not linear
“Skill is the unified force of experience, intellect and passion in their operation.” — John Ruskin
The outcome you want takes a lot of time. Find a reason to enjoy it — it’s the only way to become a better version of yourself throughout the journey.
Learning new things takes time, but if you give the process your undivided commitment, you’re on to something. The more time you spend practicing, the faster you learn.
Make learning a new skill an active experience — you won’t learn much passively. If your present path doesn’t work out, get back to basics, review the practice, and learn from what worked and every step that failed.
“The development of genuine expertise requires struggle, sacrifice, and honest, often painful self-assessment. There are no shortcuts,” writes Ericsson.
Expert players, performers and high-level achievers assess what’s working, what went wrong and what to do next time to avoid future errors.
The attempt to acquire a new skill pushes us to the edge of expertise.
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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.
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