Many of us tend to labour under the assumption that there are certain things we are good at and others we are not. However, the reality is that most of us can learn, do and achieve anything once we know how. Whether you’re looking to become an ace at business book keeping, expert at social media or to get to grips with a new language, there are some simple steps involved in making progress in any new skill.
Step 1: Define the scope of the skill
Setting goals is an essential part of progress. If you want those goals to be reachable then they need to be specific. Avoid setting a broad goal such as “learning to code” or “improving language skills” and be very specific about what is it you want to get better at, the level you’re looking to achieve and where that benchmark lies. That could be passing a specific qualification, having a certain experience or even getting a grade in an exam. The more specific you are when setting the goal the more likely you are to achieve it.
Step 2: Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day
Humans are not built to acquire skills instantly, it takes practice and repetition to improve. So, break down a big goal into smaller and much more achievable individual steps. Key to learning a new skill will be remaining motivated along the way – you’re much more likely to stay motivated if you’re progressing forward through a series of simple steps than continuously trying to reach that huge, distant objective. You’ll find it much easier to get started if the first step is already within reach – whether you’re planning a course, writing a book or acquiring a physical skill, map out your journey in a series of small steps to guarantee you will be able to reach the larger target.
Step 3: Be consistent
You don’t have to spend hours of every day working on your new skill but you will notice improvement if you’re consistent. Even just 30 minutes a day will help to ensure that you achieve the goal you’ve set for yourself. New skills are acquired gradually, over time, as opposed to trying to do everything in one big burst. So, little and often – and on a regular basis – is the key to mastering whatever it is that you want to learn.
Step 4: Draw motivation from other people
If you’re surrounded by other people who have similar goals and ambitions then you’ll find them able to provide advice, support and motivation when you need it the most. We can learn from, and motivate, each other when it comes to making progress in doing something new. Plus, when you do reach your goal, you’ll be surrounded by people who know exactly how hard you worked to get there and are ready to celebrate with you.
Acquiring a new skill is not rocket science – with patience, hard work and consistency, almost anything can be achieved.
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