This reality comes from a few attempts at pursuing some path or skill that you were only just turned onto by [insert motivational speaker here.] It’s the realization that this person who’s an expert in their field has spent years perfecting their craft, and you have not. You have only just discovered your path.
I am, of course, referring to our dear friend, The Learning Curve. I’d like to preface this by saying I’m a huge fan of both emotions listed above. I think hype is fun and highly productive. I also think the smack in the face of humility is extremely important.
Both can exist, and both have their place. It’s the marriage of these two phenomena where the learning curve exists. The first step crossing the learning curve is to get comfortably uncomfortable. It’s to acknowledge that YOU. ARE. NOT. GOOD. At least not currently, but you will become better with time.
[Resistance: Embrace the Suck + Invoke the Muse]
Take martial arts. For someone who has no experience, which was everyone at some point, there must be a respect for the process. In the early stages exists a spectrum with you at one extreme end and your future self at the other. There’s a lot of space in between both ends of the spectrum, and that’s okay. It is okay to be bad at something.
I repeat, IT IS OK TO BE BAD. Especially in the beginning. Ignoring this reality is only going to prolong your development.
I spent roughly a year doing Muay Thai before I felt comfortable. Once I crossed the learning curve, my confidence rose, and I began to carry myself with pride. I didn’t have a championship belt or any competition victories on my record, but I had a real sense of accomplishment.
Then I began Jiu Jitsu. It was extremely awkward, and I felt like I was walking waist deep through mud. It wasn’t the nice flow state I had achieved in Muay Thai. The mantra that I repeated to myself everyday was “You. Are. Bad. At. This.” Again, and again, and again. It was not self-deprecation, it was acknowledgement. It was me creating a space in my mind to be imperfect. To allow myself to grow.
If you train at an academy that is healthy and non-toxic, the entire staff should be aware of everyone’s skill level. It’s very important to have conversations with coaches, training partners, and especially yourself, that outlines where you are and where you want to be.
You’re not weak for making it clear to others what your experience levels are; it’s a sign of strength. If you’re encouraged to jump headfirst into the fire, sink, swim, or die, run as far away from that establishment as you can. It shows false strength to ignore the safety aspect of training, and you will get hurt.
My personal belief is that learning = struggling. Being a good learner is a highly underrated skill. Most of us don’t want to struggle because of internal discomfort, but there’s also that external component —
“What if they see me struggle?”
“I probably look so stupid right now.”
We think everyone looks at us in the academy, at the gym or in life and judges us by our failures. Really, they don’t. They’re thinking about themselves. Or, if you’re in a place like Easton, they’re rooting for you. They want you to succeed.
Our ego has a way of lying to us about how bad we are and how the world’s just waiting for us to fail at the thing we love. Don’t listen to it.
[Challenges We All Face When Starting A New Hobby]
Acknowledge the process
A lot of what goes into crossing the learning curve comes down to acknowledgement. Not resistance, not indulgence, but acknowledgement.
This is a crucial step towards mindfulness. When confronted with a skill which we’re not yet very adept in, we tend to deny this reality. Our minds want us to run away from the discomfort.
This is what many many people do when they’re just on the cusp of growth. It’s a damn shame. If we can just learn to embrace our inadequacies for as long as we need, we can eventually leave them behind. (One of the great ironies of life.)
Martial arts is the ultimate metaphor of life. It’s a constant struggle, but it’s one that we love dearly. In order to be successful, we must have a high level of humility. To begin this journey requires a commitment to learning; the better learner you are, the better martial artist you will become.
No great Black Belt will tell you they’ve finished learning. If you’re unable to accept this reality, you will not get very far — on the mats or in life. You’ll wake up decades later in the same place and wonder where the time went. Don’t let that be you.
Go out, get knocked down, get back up, and repeat.
