Frustrated much?

Some words that might help you out when you get stuck and feel frustrated when learning new things..

Not everything will come easily to you. There will come a time when you want to do something, either write a book, learn to dance, or develop a new skill. If it’s something you already have an aptitude for, things might come easily, but it’s likely that you’re going to find the learning process to be much harder than you imagined. You’re going to get frustrated. You can’t let the frustration keep you from your end goal, you need to learn how to overcome it. If you don’t you’ll never, ever leave your personal comfort zone and you’ll find yourself living a very narrow life.

It Won’t Last

If you continue to push yourself, despite the frustration, you’re going to find you get through things quite quickly. Frustration isn’t a permanent state of being. The more you ignore it and continue to persevere, the sooner the emotion disappears, getting replaced with a sense of accomplishment.

Don’t Gauge Yourself against Others

It’s easy to look at someone who started to learn a new skill at the same time you did and think that they’re picking things up so much faster than you, and to take this as a sign that you’re not meant to pick up the skill. You can’t do this. First off, it’s likely that the person you admire has dealt with frustration of their own and might be just as jealous of you as you are of them. You also have to continuously remind yourself that everyone learns at your own pace. The only thing gauging your process against someone else accomplishes is an increased amount of frustration, which means it will take you even longer to feel successful. Be happy with your progress.

Look for Back doors

Sometimes there’s an alternative way of doing something, or of having something explained that will suddenly make everything become clear. If you’ve been working on something, such as learning to ride a horse, for a long period of time, try changing instructors of disciplines, and see if that helps. If you’re writing a book, join a different critique club, or start a new project. There’s no shame in using a back door to get through the front after you’ve been struggling with a situation for an extended period of time.

Learn to Love the Process

Life is about the journey, not the end result. The next time you set out to learn something new, don’t get so caught up in the idea of being a success and mastering whatever skill you want to develop. Instead focus on each stage and appreciate the learning process. This takes the self-inflicted pressure off you, reducing the amount of frustration you experience.