How to Get Better at a New Skill
Tags: javascript, python, webdev, beginners
Published: 2023-12-03 19:51:13

One way or the other we always have this eagerness to get better when learning something new and wish we could do it just like others who have also replicated the result we are looking for. It could be a skill, habit or eve a particular talent we are trying to develop.
So many times we find it hard to learn something new right from dedication to repetition and then hopefully result. As humans it can be disturbing when you try to do something and then you find out you couldn’t deliver the way you would have wanted. These obstacles are normal for humans and shouldn’t be seen as a major problem rather as an opportunity to grow.
Let's take for example, when babies are in their walking stage, they fall countless times trying to master this act and yet they don’t give up till they reach their desired goal which walking properly. At this stage they have just one thing on their mind which is to be better at that particular thing. The most beautiful part is that they are not being taught how to walk yet they develop this habit themselves. They take the first step and rinse and repeat till there is perfection.
I use this analogy a lot to simplify things for myself and this has help lessen the pressure on me when I try to do something new.
I will share a few tips of what has worked for me all through the years of my life and I hope this will also help someone going through the same situation as well.

## **1.Discipline yourself**
for you to go far when doing something new you need to be disciplined. This is one of the hardest rule to follow because it can be very tasking to adhere to most times. It involves sticking to an uncomfortable pattern of doing something just to achieve a desired result. Having a well structured plan without being disciplined won’t let you achieve much. Discipline is different from motivation, although they might be similar but they aren’t the same. Motivation makes you stick to the pattern only when you feel hyped in your spirit but discipline lets you do it even when you don’t feel the drive to do it. Discipline is what makes you keep up with the tasks concerning the skill according to the desired plan given whether you are being hyped or not, you just keep showing up every day even when you don’t see any improvement up on till results can be seen.   

## **2.Reshape your mindset**
 when learning a new skill there is need to have a strong-willed mindset because truly the body might not be willing to go through the stress of learning some new or even try to pick up the old skill we dropped due to the fact that it couldn’t be developed.
Having a well-structured mindset is a bedrock to achieving a lot in life as it keeps maintaining and reassuring the body that it can achieve the desired goal. The first quote that should come to your mind when doing something new is “I can do it”. There are some skills that take months, years to master. How do you expect yourself to pull through those years without having a well-grounded mindset that all things can be achievable so far as it is within the human power. Have a little time with yourself and filter the doubts and worries from your mind. 

## **3. Research about what you want to do**
 In most cases there is high probability that someone has successfully learnt the skill you are trying learn. So all you just have to is make a research on what you want you are trying to learn and you will get enough materials to work with and all that is left is too filter the needed ones from everything that is being gathered. You can also achieve this by reaching out to people that have achieved this feet by asking questions, following their steps so you can get the same result as them.
Enjoy the research journey and never feel shy about reaching out to people who are better than you at that skill you are trying to develop. 

## **4.Seek assistance**
 In the society today it seems like a taboo to seek help on what you don’t know. We will rather battle with the difficulties which makes it seem like, what we want to do can’t be achieved. There is need to breakout of the shell of “not wanting to seek help when it’s needed” all because we don’t want to be turned down and also want to praise ourselves for having done everything ourselves. Seeking help makes the goal less stressful to achieve and also gives the ability to speak up when there are goals that seem to be unachievable.
Seeking help also makes the journey easy to document so that people can see through the struggles and accept the fact that we can’t know it all. It is never a crime to ask for an advice, assistance from people who are better than you at what you are learning.

## **5. Embrace your learning process**
 All humans fall under the category of being a fast learner or a slow learner but the end goal is to achieve the desired result. So there is no need to feel bad for being a slow learner rather focus on the other strength you possess which is having a strong mindset and discipline because this is what helps you pull through when going through this phase. Go with the flow of being slow and enjoy the rhythm rather than complaining. The fact is you might be slow during learning but you can never be slow after mastery.
It might take a longtime just because you are slow at learning things but do not focus on the time it is taking you to reach the goal rather focus on the goal itself because in the end it doesn’t matter if you are a fast or slow learner, what matters is that both parties have achieved the same goal regardless of the time it took them to get the result.

## **6. Be teachable**
 quite a number of people find it difficult to take correction or accept being corrected. When learning a new skill there will be mistakes and you can’t just go with what you think will work rather you go with what has proven to have worked.
Sometimes it might be difficult to accept correction even though you know that the person correcting you has a better solution to what you are encountering at the moment.
In some cases your solution might work but should in case it doesn’t work take the proven solution and accept that no one knows it all. Being teachable saves time when facing difficulties while learning a skill because it allows you to pick up an already made solution.

## **7. Make room for failure**
 Making mistakes while learning is inevitable and it needs to be accepted. There is no need feeling bad for making mistakes as it is part of the learning process. Be willing to stand up no matter the number of times you fail. Embrace your mistakes, love the fact that you failed because it shows there is room for improvement and never complain. Try your hands at it again even though you might fail but surely you will get better so far as you don’t give up and you seek knowledge to correct the mistake.

## **8. Do not compare**
 Make no room for comparison. Accept everything about you without comparing yourself to others. When learning a new skill you can’t compare yourselves with people who have achieved the feet you are looking for, It will surely break you. Accept the fact that those who you are looking up to having been there before you and it took them years to get to where you are admiring now. You can’t compare yourself with someone who has 7years experience in a field you are about starting at,  to you who is just 7months old. This kind of comparison isn’t healthy as it will mess you up totally. You can feel motivated through the person’s achievement but ‘’No‘’ to comparison.

## **9. Set realistic goals**
 While engaging in this process you can breakdown the skill into small parts and follow through the tasks bit by bit till you get to the mastery stage. Do not try to over test yourself by setting unrealistic period for achieving the goal when you know deep down it will take time to achieve mastery. If not there will be pressure along the way which may bring doubt and worries. Set achievable goals and watch yourself grow from the beginning till the end. It even gives you a full detail of the learning process to mastery and this might help someone who is new to the skill, should in case you decide to document the learning process.

## **10. Challenge yourself**
 In the process of learning a new skill there is need to put one’s self through challenges after learning for a while just to see the level of growth you have acquired so far. This will help you pin point the aspect where you need to improve on and will also boost your confidence a bit. As you take on challenges in regards to that skills you tend to become better and see so far all that you can do by yourself. Though it might be demanding because you may come across new difficulties you don’t have answers to and this will make you seek solution to such situation. One way or the other you would learnt something new in regards to the skill.

## **11. Embrace the little progress**
 Be comfortable with what you have achieved so far while learning. Celebrate the little task in which you completed all by yourself. This will make you appreciate yourself a lot more and make the learning journey enjoyable for you.

## **Note:**
 Ensure to put God first in everything. That’s the main key.

## **Conclusion**
These tips that I have stated are not the only way to achieve the desired goal when learning a new skill rather it is what has worked for me anytime I am new to a skill. I just hope this helps someone out there to get better at a particular skill of their choice and refocus their mind to getting the best results for themselves. Thank you for riding with me till the end, see you next time!!!