Learning Anything New

There's a pervasive belief that certain skills are inborn, innate talents and don't require any kind of learning or practice. Another belief suggests that new skills shouldn't take time to be mastered and that they should be easily adapted and integrated.

Life doesn't work that way. If you're learning to play the guitar, you'll spend hour after hour, day after day, week after week, and year after year learning and mastering the craft. The same goes for your business. YOu will have to learn how to plan, how to market, how to sell, and how to serve. Those aren't second nature until they've been mastered, and mastery doesn't happen overnight.

I still have one guitar student, and I'm not currently taking on any more, thanks. This one guitar student is diligent in practicing, and she makes steady progress. When she masters a song, she doesn't stop playing it. It becomes a part of her repertoire, and she needs to continue playing it, so she doesn't lose the mastery she's gained.

I haven't ridden a bike in years. If I got on one today, I'd still remember the basics, but I wouldn't be ready for a difficult trail, a long ride, or any kind of race. And I've forgotten more songs than I've ever remembered on the guitar. It's all because they're not a part of my repertoire anymore. I stopped playing them and would have to remaster them if I wanted to start performing them again.

If you're new to anything, there will be a period of learning and mastery. If you're overwhelmed by all you have to learn, find a mentor, break your tasks into smaller pieces, and learn how to do one thing at a time. This is true for musical instruments and marketing funnels. You weren't born knowing how to do any of this.

Be patient with yourself, be diligent, and play through your mistakes instead of stopping to correct them. Practice often, and practice well, and you'll master what you need to learn. That's how it works. No shortcuts.

#learningskills #business #bestpractice