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- The Learning Curve
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Welcome to The Sunday Starter, a bi-weekly email for busy working parents who want to start taking back control over their lives.
Whenever I get to a low point where I think “Why do I even bother?” I just try to remind myself “This is where most people stop, and this is why they don't win.”
Do you know when most people quit?
It’s not before they start. It’s when they have their first brush with resistance.
Off the starting line, we might have momentum but at some point, the quick learning curve flattens out.
→ We’ve started to plateau.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, it helps to know why.
You're just one set of information away from motivated.
— Codie Sanchez (@Codie_Sanchez)
10:31 PM • Oct 5, 2023
This bothers us because the acceleration that was once there in the early stages has evaporated and what we are left is wondering, “Maybe I’m not good enough?” or “Maybe this thing isn’t for me?”
But, that’s not the case at all, it’s the normal progression of learning something new.
There will be a constant roller-coaster of fast progression and slow learning.
This is not the time to quit.
This is the time to keep going.
But first, a story…
My son is experiencing “the Learning Curve” right now with band.
One month into playing Trumpet and he was loving it. He was excited and energized. Band became his favorite class every day.
→ Now, he’s frustrated, upset and ready to quit.
When I asked why his answer was simple, “It’s really hard and I can’t get it.”
But it’s not that he couldn’t get it, it’s that he was “plateauing” and he didn’t realize it.
“Plateauing” is a sign that we are on the right path.
→ This is not the time to quit. It’s the time to summon the confidence that got us here and climb some more.
This isn’t a band lesson, this is a lesson for life. We’ll run into hard times again and again in almost any pursuit we try.
Keep going.
The growth comes from managing the hard and believing that better days are ahead.
→ It’s a positive mindset that can shield the negative energy.
So, he’s practicing, again. He’s focusing on his emotions. He’s working on one note at a time.
He’s learning that when adversity hits we always have two choices.
We can quit
We can push through.
I’m glad he’s learning to push through and get to the next level.
Because he’s improving, again.
He’s crested the hill he was struggling on and finding new growth because of it.
It's your turn!
I want you to think about something you’ve given up recently or don’t pursue because you don’t think you’ll be any good at it.
→ I want to encourage you to try again.
But…
You have to put time into it.
I’d encourage you to start with 10 minutes a day for the next week. Can you commit to that? From there you can add more time to develop further. I highly recommend watching one of my favorite TED talks by Josh Kaufman about the amount of time it takes to become efficient.
Spoiler Alert: It’s less than you think
You have to give yourself space to be lousy
I’d encourage you to set boundaries on what happens when you get upset…how do you pull yourself back? With my son, we set a boundary that once he felt the anger rising; we stopped, he counted to 10 and he took 3 deep breaths. Then we got back at it.
→ Go have fun with this and realize that you won’t be perfect, or great, or even good right now…or maybe ever.
Who cares?
It’s the act of trying that becomes the most valuable resource for our growth.
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
What’s Coming Next:
Next week, we’re going to focus on a simple concept that can help you take back control when things seem to spiral.
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