Due to quarantine, most people have no choice but to stay home. Everything happens from home, including work. Entertainment facilities are closed, including fitness gyms. Theaters, bars, and even dine-in restaurants aren’t safe, even if some are allowed to operate. At this moment, you want to pursue something you’ve always wanted but have no time. You’re home all the time, so you might as well try a new skill. The problem is that you might be interested in giving it a shot at first, but you eventually change your mind. You only feel fascinated by the thought of learning a new thing, and you lose interest after a while. If you get exhausted along the way, you can drink a glass of water purified by the Big Berkey filter. You’re just tired, and you need to replenish before moving forward.
Drinking water is one way to recover from a daunting task of learning something new. There are other steps you can take to keep going.
Anticipate mistakes and problems
You already know that it’s not going to be easy. Learning something new takes time and effort. If you commit mistakes, it’s understandable. Don’t be frustrated or think that you’re a failure. You can still do better. Besides, these mistakes will teach you a lot of things and help you grow. Keep trying, and don’t let anything stop you.
Take it easy
When you learn something new, it’s not going to happen overnight. Depending on the skill you’re trying to learn, it could even take years. For instance, if you want to learn a new language, you need to spend years. Depending on the language’s complexity and how far your mother tongue is, it would take about a year or more to be fluent. Therefore, you need to take it easy. Don’t put yourself under immense pressure since it will make you feel like giving up.
Envision yourself achieving the goals
When you’re about to give up, think about success. Imagine that you’re already applying the language you learned to speak with native speakers. Think about running your own business because you’ve learned entrepreneurial skills. Once you think about yourself being a successful person, you will set everything aside and keep going.
Take a break if necessary
There are instances when you want to give up, and it’s okay. You have to learn a new skill and do other tasks at the same time. You need to earn money for your family. You also have to take care of your children. When you started to learn the skill, the setup was more favorable. However, things changed, and you no longer have as much time as you used to. Despite that, you should still keep trying. If you have to take a break, you need to do it. As long as you eventually get back on track, there’s nothing wrong in taking things to a halt for a while.
Set realistic goals
One of the reasons you feel like giving up is that you place yourself in a difficult position. Perhaps, you need to revisit your goals and the timeline to accomplish them. Be realistic and give yourself enough time to learn. If you want to learn a new sport, you should give yourself at least a month just to learn the basics. You can’t expect to be a pro over the next few weeks. If you have that goal, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Don’t compare yourself with others
You also want to give up because you feel like you’re not brilliant or challenging enough. If you know someone who learned at about the same time as you, it’s inevitable to make comparisons. In the process, you realize that you are way behind. If you started to learn how to dance from scratch and the other person’s skills are already impeccable, you will be discouraged. The problem isn’t the idea that you’re slow in learning. It’s the endless comparison that puts you at a disadvantage. Everyone has a learning style. Some people learn faster than others. You also have different starting points. Even those who learn the same degree in the university don’t start at the same point. Some people have an advantage because of the resources at their disposal, or the school where they graduated. Therefore, comparing yourself will only make you feel less motivated.
Always be optimistic
Even if you’re about to give up because of different factors, you should keep going. Your skills matter when learning something new, but so does your attitude. If your mindset is that you’re a loser and you can never accomplish anything, you won’t reach your goals. However, if you think that you’re highly capable, you can do anything you want. Just imagine athletes who have achieved their goals. You might see some of them who have better skills or at an excellent physical shape. However, they still ended up losing to someone who doesn’t have the winning form. The difference is attitude. Perhaps, the other person is more determined to win and is hungrier for the title. If you have an excellent mindset, you can learn whatever you want.
Ask questions
You also want to give up because you feel confused. You don’t know the next step. The solution is simple- ask questions. There are experts in whatever field you’re trying to learn. Ask questions or clarifications if you’ve met a considerable obstacle. It’s not the end of the road for you. Once you received the responses, you will be motivated to carry on.
You have to work hard for everything in life. Sure, you only started to learn a new skill because you’re bored. However, once you’ve already started it, you have to continue until you reached the goal. Imagine everything that you did to be where you are now. It’s not time to give up.
