Frustrations

Your learning journey usually consists of a number of stages. You will go through some or all of them at various points and are bound to repeat some of them. Why? Because you’re human and that’s perfectly okay and normal.

We learn from our mistakes and try to do things differently the next time round. It may take a few attempts but we get there in the end.

Here I talk about the stages I went through and still go through. I hope it resonates with you and encourages you to keep going.

1.Inspiration

At the start of your learning journey, you’re really inspired. You have big plans to:

• meet your goals in record time,
• become an expert, and
• land your first job with a huge salary.

In your mind, all your dreams have come true and you’re living the life you always wanted.

But there’s one problem, you haven’t started. There is nothing wrong with having these thoughts. However, we need to know how to stop them from overpowering us and understand that it takes consistency and hard work to achieve anything.

We also need to realise two things:

1.Things will not go to plan, and
2.Inspiration and motivation are fleeting.

2.Motivation

Staying motivated is always a challenge. Most people find that you’re usually quite motivated to do things when you wake up.

You have so many things you want to do but as the day progresses, you realise that time is not infinite and your energy levels start to deplete through the day.

Motivation is like fuel but it runs out. You normally need to find ways to refill your tank but it can be hard to do.

So while motivation is a great thing and something we should always look for, we need to realise that motivation alone will not get us to our goal. That’s why consistency, patience and discipline are so important.

3.Consistency

Consistency, along with patience and discipline, are the magic ingredients that you need to move you down your path.

If you have faith in those things and the processes that require you to apply them, I guarantee you that you will get to where you’re going.

The great thing about consistency is that it’s not this big and unrealistic idea.

It’s small and simple and won’t overwhelm you. You can always start small and then build your way up to something bigger.

When you do this, you end up achieving something big without even realising it.

Like reading a book. You start at the beginning, read a little everyday, and then before you know it, you’ve finished.

When you apply consistency, stay focused on the small steps and the task at hand.

It’s important to look up from time to time but don’t do it too often because you will be overwhelmed and not understand how all these little steps will get you to the top of the mountain.

That’s why it's good to assess your progress once a month. It will help you see the big picture and decide if you need to change anything that might not be working.

4.Comparisons

Here’s where things get real. You start to see lots of videos and social media posts showing people meeting their goals and doing it in superhuman time.

They seem to be saving people from burning buildings, delivering babies and finding a cure for cancer all while learning how to code or something else.

They’re truly amazing people and we should all be grateful that we exist on the same planet as them. Wrong, their lives, like their posts, are unrealistic with lots of filters on them.

Remember, they are only showing you what they want you to see, not all the self-doubt and fear they’re going through.

No one is ever going to show you that. However, some might. They’re normally great people who are grounded and understand what reality is.

Looking at these things can make you feel inadequate and want to give up. Firstly, block these things out.

Be selective about the people you listen to and follow. If something is too good to be true, it usually is.

You’re an intelligent person, and you can tell when something does not make sense.

Unfollow and ignore people that like to brag or sell you false hope. Don’t buy into toxic positivity. Know that life is about balance, hard work and doing what’s right for you.

This is why its important to find friends and mentors that are wise and supportive.

If you feel depressed, defeated or inadequate, ask for help and talk to them. They will give you advice and support.

They normally know what to say, when and how. We all need to help and support each other, so pay it forward.

If you know someone who is going through something similar, support them too.

5.Its ok - you can do this…

As time goes by, you will feel tired, start to doubt yourself and question your progress.

You may ask yourself, will I make it? Is this the career for me? Have I made a mistake?

When you reach this point, it's important to take a break.

Take a week or two off and clear your head. Do things completely unrelated to what you’re studying.

Take a trip if you can or go for walks, watch movies and do things you enjoy.

When you’re ready to come back, assess your progress and your map. Think about things critically and objectively and decide what your next steps should be.

When you are studying and following a plan, it's important to:

1.Have faith in the process, and
2.Take your time - it's a marathon, not a sprint.

You will find your stride and start setting up effective routines that will work for you.

You are always free to change or tweak these routines based on your tests of them. It’s always good to change things up from time to time to help keep you motivated.

6.Conclusion

The most important thing to remember is that we are human. We are not machines and we do and will go through a plethora of emotions on any journey we are on.

Unlike machines, we are flexible and adaptive.

This means that we can be in a situation, recognize what’s going on, identify how we feel, find its cause and change it to move in a direction that will help us meet our goal.

It’s perfectly normal to be frustrated, upset or demoralised but know that you can do things to delete those emotions and turn it into fuel for success.