To Learn a New Skill, You Have to Screw It Up First

Learning a new skill is a great way to gain a sense of accomplishment... eventually. Before you succeed at something, you need to screw it up. A lot.

As tips blog Impossible HQ points out, there’s a simple model if you want to build a new skill: fail first, then succeed. Or, to use comedian Bill Burr’s words, “F–k it up, then fix it.” The first time you try something, you’ll always bomb. That’s how you know you’re on your way:

The only real secret to being able to figure out something new is to be willing to go all out and screw something up – and then fix it.

• Get on stage. Tell a few jokes. Bomb.
• Bake a pie. Screw it up. Throw it away.
• Take apart an engine. Put it back together.

It’s basic, but it works…as long as you’re not afraid to look like an idiot.

That looking like an idiot part is also pretty essential. Adults have a natural inclination to avoid looking stupid, because they’ve been around for so long. However, if you’re not willing to look dumb in a particular area, you’re never going to learn. Because, let’s face it, if you’re learning something new, you are dumb in that one area at first. It’s part of learning.

F— It Up, Then Fix It | Impossible HQ

Photo by DaMongMan.

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