If you’re an accomplished professional; if you’ve succeeded at a high level in business and in life, then learning something new should be a breeze, shouldn’t it?
Well, it turns out that that’s not the case at all. 
The more successful we are, the more comfortable we become in our areas of expertise; and the more comfortable we are in those existing areas of expertise, the less likely we are to want to risk failure by venturing outside that place of comfort and ease.
I’m just beginning to learn how to do studio lighting to enhance our video recording studio. I decided that I should write a bit about the process instead of indulging my urge to take my brand new studio lighting kit and toss it into a dumpster.
You see, when my new kit arrived, I was pretty convinced that the single You Tube video I had watched a week ago was all that I needed to be an instant expert. I gleefully unpacked the box, assembled the lights and stands; and immediately set out to record my first video. To my horror, my first clip looked like a really bad outtake from a poorly planned remake of the Exorcist.
The next 90 minutes of repositioning lights and stands and reflectors failed to yield any significantly different result. I’m now fairly convinced that my future is not so much in producing uplifting motivational videos, but rather in ‘B’ tier horror film trailers. (Except that I’ll have to learn how to mix in scary music; and frankly that just way overwhelms me.)
So before going back to the studio, here’s what I’m telling myself about learning new things. I think I’ll call them The Five Ps of Learning (because “experts” need to have 5 or 7 of something in their cleverly named systems):
- Permission. We need to give ourselves permission to try new things; to not know; to be beginners again; to seem foolish; and to feel dumb. We need to give ourselves permission to venture out beyond the edges of our comfort zones because all of our growth, all of the wonder, all of the greatest expression of who we are is out there. Just beyond that familiar edge. We need to give ourselves permission to fail, permission to falter, permission not to excel, permission not to be good (or great) at something. Because all of our success (once) started in that place, that place of beginning.
- Practice. Everything we’ve become great at has required practice. Disciplined repetition. Not everything requires Gladwell’s 10,000 hours (although I think that that daunting figure sometimes dissuades successful folks from taking on new things). I ‘practiced’ law for nearly 30 years… and, as a result, became ‘practiced’ at it. I write every day in order to hone my craft. The Amazon bestseller didn’t happen on the first try. I speak often because I love it, and the larger the audience the better. But I remember a time when I felt like hurling every time I’d walk on stage. It is practice that brings grace and ease.
- Persistence. Staying at it. Not giving up. Even when you want to; even when you’re frustrated; even when you hit a roadblock; even when you fail; even when you despair. Staying at it; showing up; doing the work. Nowhere have I learned this more than in my running. It takes months and months to prepare for an ultra-distance race. Running day in and day out, even in the heat, and freezing cold; even in the rain and in the snow. Even when you don’t feel like it; especially when you don’t feel like it. And on race day, it is no different: 50 miles is run just one step after another, never relenting, never giving up. For the finish line is the reward only for those who persist.
- Purpose. You need to be driven. You need to hunger for your outcome. We’re only motivated to move beyond our comfort zones by either intense pain or a vision of extreme pleasure. A vision of pleasure is what sustains. The vision is what fuels the effort; it’s what keeps us going. For me, I write and speak and coach because I am driven by effecting positive change in the world. I run ridiculous distances because I am driven by that feeling of vitality and sense of well-being that extreme fitness brings. Having a vision, having a deep sense of purpose is what sustains us on the path when the going gets tough.
- Playfulness. We tend to take our expertise rather seriously; in fact, as we grow, we tend to take everything way too seriously. When we lighten up, when we become more playful, we can go easier on ourselves (and others). We can become curious again, and indulge the unknown. We can open up our innate creativity. We can become explorers again and venture out into the vast unknown… and just enjoy the journey. In a spirit of play, the new becomes fun. And when we’re having fun, everything is possible.
So I’m going back to it now. Right after I run out to the dumpster to retrieve my kit. Keep your eyes peeled for some new video extravaganzas. Coming to a theater near you.
Great post Walt! It is difficult for adults to learn how to learn but you nailed it…