As human beings we are often faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges in advancing our skill. Artists for example often long for better results, for a clear elevation above our old artistic thresholds or simply to fulfill a long-held desire in delivering a result that even surprises ourselves in its awesomeness : some proof that we are moving ahead in perfecting our skill. But quite often, the more we try the more things seem to stay the same, at least that's the thought that tends to creep into our awareness at the most inappropriate of times - the time when we would need some self-encouragement to continue because a breakthrough is pretty close at hand. It's always darkest before dawn.
And naturally the issue of feeling stuck at our current level of capability goes far beyond being an artist in the human realm. Whenever we are really passionate about anything, a skill, a project or a seemingly monumental task ahead of us we get frustrated and start doubting our own ability to achieve what we are after if we see ourselves loitering at the same level for "too long".
But if we are really honest about it there is a clearly visible progression we can extrapolate and derive inner strength from looking back at our own lives. And like so often the idea is rather simple.
You're a human being, you can't help but get better at what you do
When I feel I am not progressing in my skills I often remind myself of being a kid way back before I had really learnt anything. For instance, I could not speak and then a short time later I could. And it's not like I had to consciously work on it with lessons or iron-will in order to surmount what seemed like a difficult task but rather I simply spend a lot of time copying language of my parents and the other people around me. Just like every other kid who learns to speak: by simply doing it.
What am I saying here? I am saying that if we want to perfect our skills there isn't much value in an overanalyzing and self-doubting attitude. Rather it becomes clear that there is an almost inescapable probability that we will soon get good, better and eventually amazing in what we do if we just continue to do it. As we say in German: "From nothing comes nothing." We all start out clueless.
This concept is closely related to the idea of gathering mileage which I have already written about. However the idea of natural improvement in our skills is another angle to question where our mental resources are flowing on a constant basis and whether we really want to spend that energy worrying about our alleged lack of progress when we could just trust that we will get better at what we do whether we believe it or not.
I have found that the most capable people with the highest potential often are their own worst critics, and often in the most unfair way. Instead it's a great idea to drop all the mindchatter and simply trust in the idea that practice makes the master and that there is no single reason to worry about our level of progress as long as we are actively spending time doing the thing, if only a bit every single day. Because in all likelihood: in our own memories of the skills we have already learnt in our lives, and in observing our own capabilities becoming wider and more refined we can SEE that even the mundane activities in our lives show us that we can't help but get better at what we do, if we are just doing it.
Take shoveling the driveway for example. I remember when I first did that it was a mess - I started at random places, walked from one side to the other more than needed and eventually spend twice as much time as it would have taken had I already had the experience in shoveling driveways that I have now.
I am sure you see the point <3
You can't expect to excel without any practical experience, and with practical experience progress will come all on its own without any need to worry it into existence.
So if you ever feel stuck, dare to remember when you cooked your first meal or tried to tie your shoelaces for the first time by yourself, or tried to change a car tire on your own without any prior experience... and then realize how much skill in these mundane activities you have accumulated by simply doing the thing even just a few times since then. To see how easy and natural it comes for human beings to learn, adapt and excel in anything we do.
Let me say that again: Progress and improvement in skill come natural to human beings, noone is exempt from this so there really is no plausible reason to worry. All of us know how to tie our shoes by now and boy was that hard to do at first!
Learning and progressing really is the default state of our human existence, and all this focus on our lack of breakthroughs will not make those breakthroughs come faster but instead build up another wall to our own ease of flow in trusting that doing the thing is quite enough to learn how to do the thing with mastery eventually.
I have started to apply this in everything I do and so even the questionable initial results are somewhat of a gift for me these days because I know it will improve significantly & FAST if I don't distract myself.
"Aww look how cute and imperfect that result is, I can't wait to compare it to the result next week." This fosters a can-do attitude when I decide to learn something new without any pre-existing skill. And instead of beating myself up I know I will excel in the activity because that's what I have always done by default with any of the other skills I have learnt in life already - be they everyday activities like shaving my beard or artistic endeavors like making a complex song I dig.
If we choose to celebrate our willingness to work on ourselves it will be more than enough to propel us to a level where the results will even surprise our own relentless inner critic. Not to mention all those still preoccupied with doubting their own ability and potential.
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