"In the beginner's mind, there are many possibilities,
but in the expert's there are few - Shunryu Suzuki"
When we learn new skills, we experience different emotions at different stages of the
learning process.
In the beginning, we may not realize how much we need to learn. Then, when we
discover what we don't know about a subject, we may get discouraged, and we might
even give up.
Realizing how we feel at each stage of the learning process can help us to "stick with
it" and manage these emotional ups and downs.
In order to grow and develop, we must first become conscious of our incompetence and accept that “We don’t know” in areas we wish to grow and improve.
Let’s Take A Closer Look At The Four Stages Of Learning.
Knowing what's ahead of you puts you in a better position to adequately prepare yourself.
1. Unconscious Incompetence
A person does not understand or know how to do something and does not
necessarily recognise the deficit. They may deny the usefulness of the skill. The individual
must recognise their own incompetence, and the value of the new skill, before moving
on to the next stage. The length of time an individual spends in this stage depends on
the strength of the stimulus to learn.
2. Conscious Incompetence
A person does not understand or know how to do something, they recognise
the the deficit, as well as the value of a new skill in addressing the deficit. The making of
mistakes can be integral to the learning process at this stage.
3. Conscious Competence
A person understands or knows how to do something. However, demonstrating the
skill or knowledge requires concentration. It may be broken down into steps, and there
is heavy conscious involvement in executing the new skill.
4. Unconscious Competence
A person has had so much practice with a skill that it has become "second nature"
and can be performed easily. As a result, the skill can be performed while executing
another task. This person may even be able to teach the skill to others, depending upon how and
when it was learned.
To learn more about developing awareness of your skill levels, I recommend you checkout the lesson that I offer “Successful Career Development”.
“Information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is the foresight we need to lead us lead us through in our life journey.
Have a great week ahead.
Stay safe, kind & considerate.