Staying On Track

Yesterday I wrote about the four stages of learning. I only mentioned the first and the last, but the two in the middle are “Conscious Incompetence” and “Conscious Competence.” In my experience, I am quite excited when embarking on a new endeavor. Learning a new skill, starting a new job, reading a new book, or starting a new course, my enthusiasm rises when I get to learn something I didn’t know. I’m totally okay with the fact that I don’t know everything, so unconscious incompetence isn’t a problem. To know that I’m making mistakes is quite troublesome mentally.

That's the most challenging part of learning something new for me. Afterwards, to know what to do and put forth the concentration to get it done, I’m good during this stage. In fact, it may very well be my favorite stage of learning. Conscious Competence is this stage. The ability to do what’s needed, but it requires focus and effort. This stage keeps me on track. I’m fully engaged with whatever it is I’m doing. I don’t have to worry about anything outside of what I’m doing. I’ve got on the proverbial blinders, if you will. I’m locked in and getting things done. I’m working with confidence and working competently.

In these two middle stages, I’m fully engaged. Taking on something new or stick with something after mastery is when I am most challenged. What I’ve learned is there’s nothing wrong with easy mode. The same things I find “easy” are the things others may and typically do, pay handsomely for. I often forget about the hours I’ve spent to master a particular skill. I usually think about me with the new skill or talent, not before and the time, effort, and energy required to be competent or master the skill. Like a woman birthing her first child, saying she will never do that again, then becoming the mother of four or five more kids. It could be similar to the person with a problem drinker that gets drunk, gets arrested, then says they’ll never drink again, only to get drunk again.

Time may indeed heal wounds, but it also muddies the water of my memory. I don’t recall sufficiently the pains of learning something new. Therefore, when solving problems for others, I basically give away my skills. Not because others don’t value them, but because I don’t. I value them how I am, not how I was before having them. This came out in a conversation with a good friend yesterday. We were speaking of our deficiencies and this was one of my many areas which needs improvement.

Moving forward, I’ll work on turning my liabilities into assets. I’ll be cognizant that staying on track is the only way to fulfill my purpose and my reason for being.

Today, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, I am grateful that:

My helper, Jovy, didn’t arrive until much later this morning. The interruption of my writing and morning routine tends to affect the rest of my day. She still arrived earlier than expected, but it was acceptable.

I’m making some progress on my projects. I will need to devote more time to getting things completing, but slow progress is better than no progress at all.

My right hand isn’t hurting as much as it was yesterday. The pain yesterday was disruptive. Not so much today, but

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