The Quiet Power of Small Steps in Learning
Anytime you want to learn a new skill, it’s like wanting to climb a mountain but without a map. You can see the top of the mountain (your goal), but you can’t see the path. By defining small steps that repeat, you can begin to walk the path to the top of the mountain one step at a time. With each step, you get closer to the top and each step builds momentum for the next step. Eventually, you look back and realize you have made a huge progress. Once you start to see your progress, it becomes a driver for motivation.
The danger with any practice is to look for quick wins. We want to do something once, and feel different afterwards. If we don’t feel different, we give up. Small steps gives us a constant feeling of quick wins, but with the ability to repeat each step as often as needed, without feeling like we are performing. We are improving bit by bit, not trying to master something in one go.
This repeats practice framework creates a natural cycle of learning. It’s simple to come back to your practice each day because you know what you need to practice. The repeat reinforces what you already know and you start to make decisions and connections. If your practice requires coordination, timing or physical movement, it’s a must that you repeat. Your body learns in this way and your mind learns in this way. It’s not as frustrating when they are both working together and it is fun. It doesn’t matter that you aren’t naturally talented when you have to keep practicing.
The critical piece is the effectiveness of the feedback. Small steps enable the learner to understand the bits that are doing what they are supposed to and those that aren’t. Rather than despairing at the enormity of the entire skill, they can instead focus on one small part. Because of this, the feedback is more relevant. They can see the results of their efforts and understand how to correct them. They are able to repeat and refine each step. By doing so they start to trust the process and feel better equipped to deal with the more significant challenges ahead.
Last but not least, the community acts as a motivator when you encounter setbacks. Learning a language is not a straight line. There will be setbacks. The community will motivate and tell you that you are not alone and will give you tips on what to do next. When you feel like you are not making progress, the community will remind you that you are. This is one of the beauties of having a community. We are all on the same mission. When you are taking baby steps, you know you are not alone. You will carry on.
