How Do You Learn to Do Something New?

How do you learn to do something new?

Not by thinking, planning, or strategizing.

Instead, we learn simply by doing the new thing.

We learn by being okay feeling uncomfortable and awkward.

We learn by experimenting and having a beginner’s mindset.

Over the weekend, I was reminded of this.

One of my new endeavors for the year is taking adult ballet classes.

It’s been decades since I studied dance almost daily as a teen.

My mind remembers, but my body needs to re-learn how to do the steps.

Our instructor told the packed classroom at the outset, “the way to learn to dance … is to dance.”

So simple. Yet maybe it’s not the first thought when we start something new.

It could be anything new, whether it’s leading, marketing, designing, or something else.

For those who follow me, you know I’m learning to speak Spanish.

This year I’m also learning more about AI. I’m curious about how to better apply it to my work communicating, coaching, and leading.

One of the cool new LinkedIn tools is “rewrite with AI.” So this post appears in two versions, A and B. What resonates with you in each post and why? Drop a comment and let me know. 👇

This is Version A, written by me.

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This is Version B, rewritten with AI.

How do you learn to do something new? Not by overthinking, but by simply doing. We learn by embracing the discomfort of being a beginner and experimenting with a beginner’s mindset. This weekend, I was reminded of this while taking adult ballet classes. Though it’s been decades since I last danced daily, my instructor reminded us that “the way to learn to dance…is to dance.” It’s a simple concept, yet one we often overlook when starting something new. Whether it’s learning a new language like Spanish or exploring the possibilities of AI, the key is to take action and learn by doing. So what new skill are you looking to tackle this year? Share in the comments below.

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P.S. One of the most fascinating learnings from this “rewrite with AI” experiment? I did it 3 times as I made slight edits to my post, and each time the rewrite was fairly different. Trying to decide what to make of that.

 

 

How to Lead and Learn through Discomfort

Feeling uncomfortable? Keep going.

When you’re on unfamiliar ground, how do you lead through discomfort?

Our inner critics can come out when we’re learning something new. When we’re leading through a challenge. When we’re not sure what to do next.

This inner critic may be trying to protect us from disaster by telling us we don’t know what we’re doing. We’re going to fail. We should stop right now.

But, really, how true is that inner critic?

What if we just kept going instead?

Of course, it can help to assess risk. It can be valuable to make course corrections. It can be wise to seek feedback and advice.

But overall, keep moving forward.

This uncomfortable feeling has surfaced for me as I commit to learning Spanish over the next few years.

I’m taking Spanish 1 at a local community college. More here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/leachcaroline_learning-spanish-activity-7103129806455672832-8RjY?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

After the first week of class, my inner critic was in overdrive. It’s hard to memorize the vocabulary and accent marks. I’m not pronouncing the alphabet correctly. I didn’t get 100% on a few of my homework assignments.

The conclusion? I should just quit now.

But what if I got curious instead? What if I looked at the discomfort head on? What if I saw being uncomfortable as a sign of growth?

And the most important: what if I let go of perfection on my learning journey?

It takes time to learn anything new. There are going to be difficulties along the way. And I’m here for it. I’m okay being uncomfortable for a while.

How about you?

Transforming Post-Pandemic Trauma into Growth

A colleague tipped me off to this week’s Aspen Ideas Festival. What an inspirational collection of people and ideas. It’s juxtaposed onto this strange transitional time we’re all living through as we emerge from 16 months of a global pandemic in the U.S.

A favorite talk came from Arthur Brooks. He’s a professor, an author, a podcaster, a thinker and so much more. What he got me thinking about is not simply recovering from post-pandemic trauma, but how to turn the experience into one of growth.

Reframing the months-long experience of intense uncertainty, day after day, into one of growing from it is incredibly powerful. Like a weight being lifted off one’s shoulders.

As you reflect on your life over the last year during Covid-19, what did you learn? What did you accomplish that you didn’t think you could? (And yes, sheer survival counts as a major accomplishment.) How did you grow and change?