Getting Mentally Prepared for Learning

The learning process and the pursuit of mastery aren’t linear. It can go sideways, up, down, and all over. The downs tend to feel way down, especially early on. In this “valley of despair,” as it’s sometimes called, many of us quit. We stop for all sorts of reasons, but most of them are variations of not being happy with our progress. We tend to overvalue the climactic moments in life, the destination, and from the valley, the summit seems out of reach, so we give up. Mastery isn’t a destination, though; it’s not a place we get to and finally stop. It’s a path, and we find our way with practice. To handle all the challenges of practicing a skill, we've got to nail the mindset.

The Learning Journey

The learning process is a cycle of excitement followed by frustration, then back to excitement again. We make progress, and we get stuck; it’s all part of how we learn.

It’s helpful to understand that there isn’t just one valley of despair but many. I know that may not be what you want to hear, but it’s better to face this reality now so we can mentally prepare for it.

You’ll hear people talk about plateaus. They’ve stopped making progress and maybe even backslid a bit, and as with the valley analogy, a plateau is a place of frustration.

As long as we don’t give up, we cross these plateaus and climb out of these valleys with a breakthrough. Something we’ve struggled with for a while clicks, and our climb resumes. We are making meaningful progress again.

Understanding that the learning journey is a cycle and that as long as we don’t quit, meaningful progress WILL resume can be liberating in a way. We can put aside all the negative self-talk we did when we’re stuck and know that feeling stuck is a part of learning.

Fight for your Mind

These plateaus and valleys are a mental game. They put you into this headspace where you're unsure if it's worth it anymore, and you are thinking of giving up.

Many experts will tell you to focus on goals and planning to help stay the course, but goals and plans won't carry you through the challenging aspects of the learning cycle on their own.

We need to shift the way we think about progress which means we have to approach practice differently. Three mental shifts must take place:

1. The struggle is part of learning. Instead of getting down on ourselves when we struggle to learn something, we must accept that the battle is part of the practice. It doesn't mean we are deficient in some way. It's not personal. It's how learning works.
2. Change the way you frame your struggle. Instead of, “I’m never going to learn this!” Say, “I haven’t figured this out yet.” Saying what you can't do is accepting defeat. Saying that you can't do something yet, is acknowledging that you can't do it, but you're going to need more practice.
3. Finally, take a break when you're stuck. People think if they just put their heads down and grind, they will breakthrough, and that may work, but it's also a surefire path to burnout and frustration. Your brain won't stop working on something that’s not resolved, even if you're not consciously aware of it. This is why the solutions often come to us in the shower, during a walk, or even after a brief run to the coffee machine.

Summary

Learning something new isn't always easy. Sometimes it will be, but when it's not, it'll require a lot of extra practice. Being mentally prepared for these challenges is essential to our future success. You need to know that you can learn it. That nothing is out of your reach. A solid practice will get you through the valleys and across the plateaus, but you've got to get your head right. Don't give up!