Learning How to Learn

A key factor in personal and leadership development.

Learning anything new is challenging. This is because the new things we’re looking for in our lives are not inside what we already know. The new things lie at the edge of our growth margins, where we are pushed outside of our comfort zones. 

This has become clear to me as I explore photography as a new hobby. 

I have never owned a camera, except the point-and-shoot I used in grade school and the one that I use on my iPhone. Now, I need to research and purchase a camera, learn how to use it, and, finally, learn how to take the very best photographs I can. 

I’ve notice that the same emotions that come up during the challenge of learning photography also come up in other situations, such as playing golf or facilitating a workshop or learning new skills with technology. 

In each instance, the same emotions of frustration, confusion, fear, overwhelm, etc., tend to rear their ugly heads. This tells me that it’s not the particular thing I’m trying to learn, it’s that I feel this way every time I’m learning something new.  

Looking back on all of my learning curves, I realize that I have to become comfortable being uncomfortable. Noticing the emotions that show up at my learning edge allows me to then manage the discomfort, so that I can stay with the learning a little bit longer. 

The key is to make the learning steps small enough and fail-safe enough to manage my emotions and attention. This way I avoid making the fatal mistake of giving up because my emotions get the best of me.  

Who knew that taking up photography would teach me so much about learning? Learning to learn is a skill that influences all domains of our lives—it’s critical if we want to keep growing and exploring what life has to offer.