Learning that sticks begins with curiosity, but it requires commitment to learning and the right structure to sustain it. This is what separates a curious dabbler from a true practitioner. The difference between the two is the former’s impulsive approach to learning and the latter’s commitment to consistent learning.
Learning is a matter of self-image. If learning a skill isn’t tied to your self-image, your motivation is tenuous at best. If you tie the thing you’re learning to your self-worth, you have an emotional investment to it. This emotional investment means that you focus less on the outcome and more on the process. Learning something challenging is now just another step on your journey. The emphasis shifts from “Look how great I’m doing!” to “I can do even better!”
Consistency doesn’t mean forcing yourself to do something everyday, as much as the internet loves touting its importance. Consistency is about rhythm. It’s about knowing when to push yourself hard and when to take a step back. This balance between trying hard and holding back is what separates the consistent practitioners from the burned out has-beens. You don’t want to push so hard that you end up detesting the thing you’re trying to learn.
Difficulty is the enemy of the amateur and the friend of the master. Many people view learning as a struggle, a sign that they’re just not cut out for it. In fact, difficulty in learning is the first sign that you’re no longer a noob. It’s a sign that you’re growing. So it follows that the better you are at something, the more challenging it is to improve.
Sustainable learning, in all its forms, is a combination of learning facts, developing an emotional connection to them, and cultivating an intention of why you’re learning them in the first place. Curiosity needs to morph into competence for it to stick. Learning shouldn’t feel like a chore, and it shouldn’t make you feel like you’re in the spotlight. It should feel like something you can always come back to and grow from.