In 2010, I decided to buy my first Apple computer. For a lot of creative people, that’s a move that needs to be made.

For the next few days, I struggled to acclimatize to this new type of computer. I knew where everything was on the PC along with all its keyboard shortcuts. But the Mac’s layout was annoying, and I quickly discovered it had a frustratingly steep learning curve. I really couldn’t understand why everybody loved it so much. After a hair-pulling week, I finally put the darn thing back in the box and returned it. I then went to Best Buy and bought a nice reliable PC.

A couple of years later, that PC broke down and I decided to try the Mac one more time. I told myself that I would be more patient this time. While it took a couple of months, I eventually fell in love with the way Apple products work. Now I own a dozen Apple products peppered across all rooms in my house. My family also caught my Apple bug and now have iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs. Apple products just work. 

The learning curve can be frustrating. The loftier your goals, the more challenging that learning curve will be. Learning how to use a Mac wasn’t really all that big of a deal in the end. But looking back on that episode now, it bothers me how fast I gave up. Luckily, by the time I went back for a second round, I understood the importance of perseverance.

The biggest lesson I had absorbed in the meantime was that climbing the learning curve is a process, not a destination. It helps to be aware of the waypoints that mark this process of mastering something new:

1. Unaware. This is the default mindset for everyone at the beginning of their life. There are myriad strategies for success out there – none of which you are aware of at birth. This is why being open-minded as you grow up counts the most towards success. It is never true that you know enough. You may have some expertise, but there's always room for improvement. It really should terrify you how unaware you truly are about the world. Only when you embrace your fundamental ignorance can you begin to fill those knowledge gaps. Or at least, that’s what the Ancient Greeks said.
2. Semi-aware. The moment you start learning, you will know a few things but you won’t yet be sure how it might apply to your life. For years, I had my eye on the work of author Brendon Burchard. However part of his methodology did not make sense to me. After attending a few of his lessons about Facebook Ads and paid traffic, it all made sense in a lightning flash of insight. I suddenly saw the whole picture. The basics were already in my brain, but I needed the final few puzzle pieces to fit into place on the learning curve.
3. Bottlenecked. Further up the learning curve, you’ll likely have a series of applicable strategies, but you may be either too busy or have too many obligations to put them into action. At that point, self-doubt sets in. You know what you need to do but feel guilty for taking time out of your day to do it. Studies show that fewer than 3% of conference attendants ever implement what they learn. This stage of the learning curve has the most risk for progress. It is woefully easy in these crucial moments to sigh and put what you know back on the shelf while claiming it was too hard to change. My advice is to push through!
4. Aware. Once you accept that climbing the learning curve requires, well, putting in the work, that’s when awareness finally translates into action. At the furthest point along the learning curve is mastery. Sometimes it feels out of reach. With enough effort and time, mastery is possible. But you can’t skip to it like you would in a video game. So, it is crucial that you focus on only a few disciplines at a time. There are many aspects of my business in which I am competent. However, I’m smart enough to know that other people might have mastered things I struggle with. Awareness tells me that I need help. Teamwork really does make the dream work.
   
   

One of the reasons that learning can be frustrating is that awareness inevitably leads to a decision point. You will uncover strategies that you are excited to implement, but learning will also reveal aspects of yourself that you are not terribly excited to accept. It will also show you just how much work there is left to do. What do you mean I can’t have ice cream every night?! You want me to do how many burpees?! Is that a 300-page book I have to read?!

It’s important to keep working on your goals even if they are not exciting to you. This is made much easier by keeping in mind a vision of success. As you stay focused through the (temporary) downturns and push on despite the fluctuating levels of motivation, you will suddenly find that one day you can fit into your jeans. Your marketing efforts will pay off with a customer that came out of nowhere. Focus trumps motivation every time.