We all know the saying “walk before you run”, implying that one must first start something before they become an expert at it.
The process of learning something new can seem like a daunting task, and oftentimes, this process is exactly why many people choose not to start anything at all.
When it comes to learning something new that we have no experience in, it is a natural feeling to think about where to even begin.
Where do we start when we have no experience with something?
It is natural to feel discouraged when we don’t know where to begin.
This is often why people choose to not try anything new at all.
As humans, we are creatures of habit, and we naturally gravitate towards things that we are familiar with.
We like to do things that we are good at.
When we try something new we have no experience in, we start from the bottom.
At the bottom, everything is new - new enviornment, new knowledge, and new skills that need to be harnessed and applied to become efficient.
We often hope that when trying something new that we will immediately become efficient at it.
The thought of being good at something we are unfamiliar with is exciting, and this is how one develops a system of setting personal goals for themselves.
However, when the reality kicks in and we realize that we know nothing, feelings of discouragement begin to outweigh the excitement and this is when people choose to either quit or go back to the things they are familiar with.
Everything in life is a learning process.
If we can bypass the feelings of discouragment from not being good at something, the willingness to learn how to become efficient at it will begin to outweigh the desire to quit.
This is why delayed gratification is an important trait for any able-bodied human to possess.
By being able to delay gratification, we can stick with things that we are unfamiliar with until we gain a sense of familiarity with them.
For the hyper-competitive individual, the rate of learning is is increased exponentially.
Those who strive to be great at things process information at a faster rate than the average person because of their willingness to learn.
Have you ever seen somebody do something for the first time and think “how can this person be that good with no experience?”
While there are genetic components to one’s natural abilities, those that are hyper-competitive are able to reach states of focus that allows them to absorb information at an increasing rate.
We have all heard of the term “flow” when someone is highly engaged in something.
When we are able to reach states of clear focus, our rate of learning as well as our work output significantly increases than if we were just going through the motions.
Strong clear focus takes practice but I do believe it is something that can be learned.
When we are highly engaged in activities we are familiar with, we are able to reach higher states of focus.
However, when it comes to things we are not familiar with, taking in a bunch of new information all at once can sometimes cause us to lose focus and never reach the flow state.
When it comes to trying anything new, it is important to understand that there is a process in which we must be willing to learn and take in new information.
Some things come more naturally than others, but the things that don’t come naturally, require more consistent effort over a longer time horizon.
Always remember to walk before you run, because if we don’t take the time to learn how to be efficient, we run higher risk to reward.
Depending on what you could be doing, deliberately increasing risk can be fatal.
Whether you’re riding horses or managing business, not learning how to be efficient properly increases the risk of causing serious damage.