When you are learning new skills there may come a point when you are so far out of your comfort zone that you don’t want to go any further. You feel like you have hit the proverbial wall. It is uncomfortable and looks like hard work! As a result, there is a real risk that you will give up on the new skill and more likely than not revert to your old ways.
What a missed opportunity!! Hitting the wall means you are well on your way to developing those new skills, and that you’ve already come a long way.
Here are five things you should consider when tackling that wall that can help you break through…
1. Recognise what you are thinking. The wall might be disguising itself as doubts, excuses, fears or any other negative emotion. Realising that what you are feeling is the wall allows you to take control again.
2. Understand that the wall is not impenetrable or unsurmountable. If you persevere, you will make it through to the other side, and that will become your comfort zone.
3. Know that done the hardest part already. Just getting started takes so much energy that once you have taken your first steps, you have actually done the hardest bit of the process.
4. You are not alone. When you are feeling like throwing in the towel it can really help you to reach out to others. At work, this could be your manager or trusted peer. If you are a freelancer it might be a mentor or coach or someone else who can give you a helping hand to get through the learning crisis.
5. Analyse the situation. What is causing you to hit the wall? How might you overcome these difficulties? What help do you need specifically? Breaking your needs down into manageable steps makes the process less frightening.
Last but not least… and this might not fit exactly with the go-get-it-now school of thought, but in some cases …. Maybe you are not quite ready to tackle your particular wall…???!! If you find you do not have the resources or the energy, take a step back and see how you might be able to maneuver yourself into a better position to approach the wall the next time round. That might mean giving yourself permission to wait a while before attempting it again, checking if it is the right wall to scale, gaining more confidence in yourself or learning different skills first that will help you long term.
What walls have you overcome, and how did you do it? I’d love to hear about your success stories!
All the best,
Sarah
