Top 5 most common errors when we learn a new skill

We all must have tried to learn something new: a photo editing software, a new language or a whole new field that you are about to enter.

If you are like most people, you may give up before mastering those new skills. Whatever the reason, you will not be able to learn that new skill as quickly as you once expected, feeling depressed when learning that skill or just not having enough time to learn.

There are dozens of reasons we can get when we first learn a new skill. In this article, we will share with you the top 5 most common errors when we learn a new skill.

1. There is no clear purpose

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When comparing an ordinary person with a person who often achieves impressive achievements, we can clearly see that those who achieve success always have clear and specific goals. Moreover, they often take the time to review the goals that they have set.

If you do not have a clear goal of what you want to achieve, it is very easy to lose motivation or give up when you encounter difficulties while doing it.

See the difference between a poor goal, a good goal and a great goal:

1. Poor goal : I want to learn a new language so I can travel to Europe next year.
2. Good goal : I want to learn Spanish so I can travel to Spain the following summer.
3. Great goal : I will speak in Spanish within 15 minutes with a native speaker at a coffee shop in Mandrid in July 2016.

Notice the difference between the first goal and the final goal: great goals are certain, specific and have a limit to determine when this goal can be accomplished. Most of us often set goals that are too general, so broad that we can't imagine and focus on how you have to accomplish it.

2. "Put the car up in front of the horse"

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This is an error I dare to make sure we all have. We have no control over all the steps in learning a new language, we easily underestimate the complexity of the process. How many times have you evaluated a skill or a job only from the outside and only realized how difficult it was to start working?

Meanwhile, shortcuts and pathways that shorten your learning often have a process that we need to follow if we want to achieve a desired outcome. For example, you can not from someone who does not know anything about Spanish, but can immediately speak the language well and if you have never experienced previous proficiency. You cannot speak fluently without understanding the basics of grammar, vocabulary and sentence structure. Moreover, you can't build a multi-million dollar business without starting to build it from a small company.

3. There are unrealistic expectations

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As an ambitious optimist, I'm sure I have this disease. As Tony Robbins once said, " Once you master the time, you will understand the fact that most people will overestimate what they achieved within a year and underestimate what they achieve in a decade ! "

In a constantly changing world in which we live, it's easy to become impatient. It's like if we don't do it 10 times faster then we are going backwards. Everywhere, there are articles like " 5 steps to do .", or "How to do it . in 30 days " while the truth is, all that great all need a certain amount of time.

It is very important to achieve big goals, for example, I will study Spanish for a month, which can be very "damaging" to us if we don't really believe that we will can do.

Rule of thumb: the scope of the target will make us feel uncomfortable and slightly out of reach.

4. Using the wrong strategy

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Having a right strategy can save us hours of hard work.

" If you give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I will use the first four hours to sharpen the ax ." - Abraham Lincoln

Learning smart is as important as practicing many times and we should form a habit of taking a step back to see what is the most effective strategy.

You can also apply Pareto Law to see if you have done the right strategy, by asking the question: " Is this 20% of your time, energy and best method to bring 80%? results as expected or not ?

For example, if you want to improve your ability to speak in public, you can focus on participating in communities that develop local public speaking skills and practice in real environments. Or if you want to learn a new language, you may want to study with a more professional native English teacher, instead of learning from Duolingo or books.

5. Trying to work alone

When learning something new, we all experience something called a training curve.

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The training curve is the way up and down that expresses the emotions we face, from excitement to despair. When deciding to study everything on your own, not seeking outside help from experts is making things more difficult for ourselves. People without responsible companions, no advisors or coaches, are more likely to give up in difficult times than those with help and a " trail " to go according to the.

In most aspects of life, we should have a coach to work with, maybe a body trainer, a financial advisor, a business adviser or a sports coach. This is the best-kept secret in the world of the best and fastest-learning people in the world.

In addition, if you want to strengthen your finances, hire an accountant or a financial consultant. If you want to own a toned body, look for a personal trainer. If you want to learn a new language, look for a professional language teacher.

Life is too short to do everything alone. You will be surprised and happy to know how much help is available in the world as long as you know where to find them.

Refer to some of the following articles:

1. 14 things people with strong will often do to achieve success
2. 5 ways to overcome Dale Carnegie's fear and anxiety
3. 11 skills are extremely difficult to learn but extremely helpful in the successful path