On learning a new skill

One of the quickest ways to learn a new skill is to be taught by someone who already knows how to do it.

Which makes me wonder why we always insist on doing things ourselves, in our own way - making endless mistakes before we finally "get it". Why? When we can shorten the learning process by asking someone to show us.

Are we afraid of being thought stupid by asking? Or are we quite happy to reinforce our inability to do something, and then throw up our hands in despair when we can't. What happens then is we have also just reinforced our mind's assumption that we always fail at new tasks, so why bother trying to learn anything new at all !!

So, lets assume you are afraid of asking someone - there are other ways of learning, so why not use one or more of them.

1. Read - what steps did someone take to overcome your problem or issue? Follow their "advice" and apply their knowledge and see what a difference that makes.

2. Watch - You can watch from affair - as in - peer over a person's shoulder. But sometimes you need to make the moves at the same time before you get it.

3. Imagine yourself doing it. As you watch - imagine that you can do whatever it is.

4. Get someone you don't know to teach you. If you are afraid of asking someone you know then get a "professional" to teach you. The world is awash with Coaches, mentors, teachers and trainers. The difficulty will be choosing the one who works for you.

5. Swallow your fear and ask them anyway. There is nothing more pleasing to be acknowledged as the "expert" in something and can you pass on your knowledge and skill to someone else. Put the shoe on someone else's foot. We can all see what other people need to do, so turn it around and see if those things apply to you as well.

6. Learn non-consciously. Listen whilst you are in the car. Read positive things before you turn out the light before going to sleep. Now I am not saying you should read affirmations - but consider that everything you put into your mind just before you go to sleep is what your mind will be focussing on during your sleep processing time, and it makes sense to turn the blood and guts off the TV a considerable time before you go to bed. I have a stack of books next to my bed, and I choose one and read anything from a couple of pages to a couple of chapters before turning out the light. And it can be everything from a how to manual to a business parable book. Choose the material you want to absorb and read it just before you go to sleep to gain the maximum benefit. That's why it's also important to make sure you don't fall asleep watching the TV and / or Radio (especially commercial radio).

We have so much capacity to learn new things, yet few people make the time to do so. Learning doesn't stop the minute you leave school or university - but carries on throughout your lives. Or should do. How many books / articles have you read this year? What new things have you tried?

Go on challenge yourself just a little. Believe me it's worth the growing pains.

Kind Regards

Elle

Comments

[Elle]

As an aside and I should have mentioned this in the post - my son was trying to work out the rubix cube...but couldn't get any more than three sides (I only managed 2 the first time around) - until that is a friend taught him what to do. He had in turn been taught by someone else and so it went on. Now, no matter how complex I make the cube - he can solve the puzzle because he knows how to solve the problem as a whole and is no longer looking at the puzzle from a single dimension.