How to learn new skills and stick with it

Learning new skills can be an exciting part of life!

Preview

1. Read a lot/consume edutainment to find new skills to learn

Read a lot to discover new interests: maybe it would be woodworking, hydroponic growing or oil painting.

2. Be open minded to discovery

3. Give yourself permission to be bad and fail

This is extremely important and also pointed out by @eyegor. Every new attempt should be considered a test. Or an opportunity to learn something new. If you decide to stick with something long enough, the successes will come.

4. Focus on the process not the results

For something like wood staining concentrate on learning the procsss and getting good with the process. The results will eventually take care of themselves.

5. Study people that are better than you but don’t expect their results unless you put in the time.

The GOATs in their fields put forth extreme repetitions in practice. It is worthwhile to learn golf short game from Tiger Woods but don't expect to be as good as he is until you put in the same amount of effort. The guitarist Steve Vai casually talks about practicing for 8-10 hours a day for decades!

6. If you are looking for a hobby have some sort of output: a work product

For example if you want to learn to knit make a plan to produce something like a hat or mittens. This will give you a goal and something to reflect on when you are done.

if you want to exercise you can have a goal of completing a marathon or even a 5k or shorter race, or competing in a tennis league or golf tournament.

Another work product for exercise can be a daily streak: do yoga every day for example. I have tried to do this and most days do a half hour. Sometimes I do a little more but most days I can find at least 10 minutes for this.

7. You can learn just about anything from YouTube

8. To stick with it be kind to yourself

If the mittens that you make are terrible or if your soufflé does not rise don't worry about it. Have a laugh!

9. Don’t take the process very seriously

Most of the time you are not trying to make a living out of some new skills.

If you want to make an omelette you need to break a few eggs!

10. Learn lots of new things: each thing you learn will make you better at everything else

Like idea sex, there is skill sex! If you get better at making an omelette that skill will help you get better at drywall repair.

Your general level of competence will increase across all fields.

Chris407x