Babies, teenagers, college kids, entrepreneurs, parents, and retirees have one thing in common; they are all students.
Some study things willingly, others unwillingly. There is conscious study, and unconscious study. But all that same, we are, at every moment of our life, studying.
Our mind has been hard-wired to learn.
From the minute we’re born, we are taking in information, analyzing it and then adding it to our storage unit otherwise known as our brain.
As we grow, so does our learning ability.
My son is about to turn 4 and as any parent can attest to, he is learning at an incredible rate. I used to be able to keep track of his new vocabulary and achievements, but it’s overwhelming me these days.
We are truly amazing.
However, there is one small problem; choice.
We, as humans, have been given the power of choice.
That means we have the choice to drink water, Coke, orange juice or coffee. We can watch TV, read a book, listen to music, take a nap or do some exercise. Choices abound, the only problem is that many people choose what is easy and fun for them, rather than those things they view as difficult.
People often choose short-term. Long-term seems so far away.
My mentor taught me the difference between the two with one simple example. Short term is a day at the beach. Long term is owning the beach. Which one would you choose?
For most of us, owning the beach doesn’t seem possible so we simply choose a day of fun in the sun.
But ask any successful person and they put short term profits on hold for long term wealth.
It’s always a choice.
With that said, let me share with you the 5 biggest mistakes people make in mastering anything.
Having been a teacher for over half my life I have seen the same mistakes made time and time again and when I moved into coaching and business I noticed the same mistakes appearing.
Good habits work in any field you choose to go into, the opposite is also true. Bad habits will follow you as well.
Here are the 5 habits that “students” make:
- Don’t do their homework
- Don’t listen to their teachers
- Take a “break”
- Don’t push their limits
- Give up too soon
Let’s take a look at each one.
The first, and most common, is that 98% of students don’t like homework. They would much rather be watching their favorite show, chatting with their friends, shopping, sleeping or practically anything BUT studying.
However, I have found one thing interesting. When people really, and I do mean REALLY, want to learn, then homework isn’t a problem. They just do it. No excuses. Regardless of what is going on in their lives they find a way to get it done.
Take me. I was calculating how much time I spent studying finance the other day; close to 6 hours. I was exhausted. The lines began to blur together on the screen. The lectures went on and on…but I stuck with it.
Why? Because I have a vision and what’s a few hours lost in pursuit of my dream.
So the first thing you really must ask yourself, is do you REALLY want to learn what you are studying. Or to say it another way:
- Are you willing to watch an hour less of TV?
- Are you willing not to go out drinking this Friday with your friends?
- Are you willing to study during lunch?
- Are you willing to say “No” to other people who may want your attention?
If you could honestly answer “Yes” to these questions, then I believe you’re 90% the way there.
The second mistake is students not listening to their teachers. And when I say “teachers” it should go without saying that I mean GOOD teachers. Why would you want anything less?
So, assuming you’ve got a good teacher that pushes you, the key is actually listening to what they say.
It’s no good having a good teacher and then ignoring their advice, but I’ve seen it time and time again. My favorite is when students say they know a “better” way. I’m all ears. Once in a blue moon, I will admit that a student is right and I thank them for that as they helped me become a better teacher. However, most of the time they are just talking out of their you-know-what.
Teachers are a resource. Use them. Don’t ignore them.
The third mistake students make is taking a break. Mastering anything is like a merry-go-round. To get it moving, it takes a lot of effort, but once it’s going it takes almost no effort to keep it going. That’s mastery. The beginning is where we expend the most amount of energy. Taking a break because we’re busy is often code for “I quit” although most people don’t realize it at the time.
Once we leave something behind we create a vacuum with the time that was once spent doing X, that gets replaced by Y and soon you’ll have no time to fit in X again.
Don’t delude yourself. Quit or keep going. Don’t wimp out by taking a break.
The fourth mistake is students don’t push their boundaries, only staying in their comfort zones. It’s easier, you’ll make less mistakes and it’ll take practically no effort but you won’t grow. You’ll stagnate. Be willing to try things you’ve never done before. Be willing to suspend disbelief and keep going. It’s not easy, but it’s one of the key elements to mastery.
The final mistake is that people often give up too soon.
Of course we can’t expect to achieve mastery overnight, but if you’ve been at something for a while don’t give up simply because it’s getting hard. Hard is good, it means you’re still working at it. The more you grow, the more you’ll find yourself having two zones; the one that you feel is easy and the one that really challenges you.
Learning something is hard. Mastery is even harder, but remember, the results are that much greater.
Adrian Shepherd