The 4 things we all need to remember… When learning new skills and growing our businesses.
When did you last allow yourself the space and time to practice a new skill?
When she began, my daughter was too frightened to go down a long slope on her scooter. She would stop herself halfway down, and then carry on bit by bit. Now she’s as cool as a cucumber.
Sometimes, the fear of making mistakes can hold us back in life and in business. Learning new skills, and growing a business, requires patience and an ongoing commitment of time. When these are both in place, miracles really do begin to happen.
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If you need to learn a new skill, or are growing your business, remember The 4 Stages Of Learning.
1. Unconsciously incompetent
2. Consciously incompetent
3. Consciously competent
4. Unconsciously competent
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It’s easy to give up at Stage 2. Many people do. Stage 2 is when we realise how incompetent we are. It’s not personal. It’s just a stage we’re going through. Stay with it, however frustrated you might feel. Trust the process. A big shift is on its way, provided you keep going.
When we trust that breakthroughs are on the way, and continue to practice a new skill, Stage 3 begins to reveal itself. You become consciously competant. Your level of skill has noticeably increased, but you still have to think about what you’re doing.
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Become like Picasso and Whitney Houston
Once you achieve conscious competence, you’re one step away from being unconsciously competent. This is when we can do things without having to think about them. Think Picasso and Whitney Houston. Their brilliance shines for all to see.
Understanding and embracing the 4 steps of learning is the secret behind every business breakthrough and success story. It’s also the same process that sports teams and Olympic athletes go through on their journey to the top. What works for them can work for you too.
Whether you’re a skilled tradesperson or a budding entrepreneur, create space for yourself to learn and grow. Life and business isn’t a race.
The next time you set out to learn something new, remember the four stages of learning. Trust the process, and in time you’ll catch yourself being unconsciously competent. For all to see. Not even having to think about what you’re doing. As cool as a cucumber.
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