From scary to easy

Scary to easy should be the tag line for “Learning”. Or maybe “I can’t to  I can”. Or anything on those lines.

Everyone knows about this, but most of times I fail to remember when I am dragging myself through the “Scary” phase. It struck me very lately, while trying my waist at hula hoop that, yes, you go from the hard to easy without realizing.

Learning a new trick/ code/ language:

1.       It is going to feel daunting and you will find it hard to imagine winging it like a pro.

2.       Keep at it. Nothing beats it than keeping at it. Nothing. Keep at it.

3.       Get a mentor. Youtube, google, read or if you find a real life mentor. Yes, you need action, but you need theory.

4.       Keep at it.

5.       Track it if you can. Nothing motivates more than seeing progress. Record yourself, graph your activity, do a trick, see the output even if garbled.

6.       Keep at it.

Am I person who always keeps at it. Yes and no. Depends on what I am doing, how much fun I am having.

Things I have been trying lately:

Hula-hooping. I am still at the novice stage of hooping it at my waist, looking constipated. But I can’t get over the moment, when I could keep it at my waist.

Driving. It still almost feels like a nightmare. But the hula hooping, has taught me forever, keep at it. I don’t have a choice to not drive. I might as well be good at it. I drag my husband out driving every single day.

Running. Well, I know how to run. I stumbled upon a post I had written long back (2 years back), where I listed wanting to run a half marathon. I wasn’t even close to running regularly. I took the first action. I googled up running events, and registered for a 5k which was close enough for me to not overlook it and far enough for me to train. My training is on; I can run a 5k.

Supporting my batches at work:  I had no clue how to start or stop them, I used to be terrified when they were stuck, I had no clue how to debug them. Today, new team members call me when they are terrified. I am winging it like a pro.

I have few things in my list:

Swim: Basic skills I need to know like driving. Need to enrol into swimming and buy a swimwear (motivation ppl)

Write a short story: I have always claimed it will be cool to write a book. It seems like an impossible task. The sheer magnanimity of the task stops me in my tracks. I thought, well I can write a one page post, I have written essays as a kid. I am just going to extend myself to write a short story good enough to read to my daughter. Doesn’t seem daunting anymore.

Improvise vocabulary: I have a fairly good grip on my grammar. Thanks to my schooling, reading, my mum. Plus, it helps me with the wish to write a book as well. So, I am going to pick a word and go nuts making sentences with it.

Be an SQL geek: Why? It’s a basic skill needed as a developer. I like the idea. I think I should know it, being a software developer. I  have the resources, SQL installed on my work machines. How? Read a book. Yes that’s what I am going to do.

 I am going to keep at it. Keep at it.

“Learning is an experience. Everything else is just information”