I’m sure many of you have made some new year resolutions, and since it’s now the 11th of January some of you might have even kept them! Resolutions and learning do go hand in hand, after all, without the motivation and the decision to stick to something we would achieve very little. My resolution this year is to accept my limits and work within them, and most importantly not get upset with myself for having those limits.
For example, I’ve taken up snowboarding, but I’m not the most athletic person and I’ve got more than a few grey hairs. While I’ve done a bit of work towards being in shape enough to manage it, I’m never going to have the stamina to go all day or to be particularly great at it. For me to learn a new athletic skill requires endless repetitions of the correct movement. After two weeks I still need to talk myself through each turn.
I’ve had to learn to be OK with that and accept that for me it will be a long learning curve as I slowly turn my intellectual understanding of what is required… e.g. turn my shoulder, look where I want to go, move my weight onto my toes, into a muscle memory where the response is natural and not one I have think through every single time.
My partner however learnt the whole deal within 30 minutes and is now on black runs. Sigh. We’re the chalk and cheese of learning!
Learning anything is generally a procedural process. That means you need to start with the basics and then build on them when they are perfect. It can take time and grit to get through those early stages. Taking an online course will be new to many of you. There will be frustrations! Especially for our students who aren’t that tech savvy. There will be times when you don’t understand what is required easily and you will have to reach into yourself and push to get through it. But you can do it!
I think because something is hard for you to learn or not instinctive, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. There is a lot of value to be gained from pushing your own boundaries and working on the thing that is not your best. It helps us become well-rounded 🙂
So, here’s to your learning in 2019.
What will you pick?
The easy or the hard thing to learn?
Do you have the perseverance to push through what you find difficult?