Is skill building always such a chore?

[MarkKol]

No matter what I try, building a website with Framer because I think It's useful to know, learning Adobe After Effects. Anything! It's always so grindy, like excellence is 5 miles away from me but the wind is blowing as hard as it can. Has anybody else had this experience?

What I'm concerned about is my theory that the most successful people don't experience this as much, I can't find a skill that I just flow with as if I'm playing a video game.

Edited June 22, 2023 by MarkKol

[CARDOZZO]

@MarkKol 

OBSESSION. 

One fucking word.

What are you obsessions? What areas are you obsessed with?

Spirituality? Fitness? Fashion? Engineering? Coding? Math? Woodwork?

My Obsessions:

• Being a Renaissance Man/Genius/Pioneer
• Learning
• Consciousness Research/Spirituality
• Coding
• Creativity/Inventions
• Science Fiction/Futurism

[Basman]

People who cultivate a skill tend to be passionate about it. The passione and sense of reward holds you over the more tedious aspects. When I do my fitness, I look forward to the sense of fulfillment you get from putting effort into your body and the boost in confidence as my body visibly grows as well as a hearty meal afterwards. I have plenty of good reasons to work out and I don't work-out so much that it becomes too tedious. In fact, I probably work-out less per session than what would be considered a "normal" work-out typically. But I'm highly concistent since I enjoy the way I do it. I manage to work-out circa 5 times a weak, which I would never be able to do if I was forcing myself a high degree.

I don't think you need to be particularily driven as a person in order to develop skills. You just need a genuine good reason and a pace that doesn't burn you out. I'd be concerned if you aren't genuinely interested in something for its own sake and trying to pursue something just because its a "good idea". I'm pursuing art and in this economy it is anything but a good idea. Your interest shouldn't be purely based on rationality but be emotionally inspiring. 

You are going to be bad at it in the start. That is normal.

 

[CARDOZZO]

@MarkKol

You can read these books to help you out:

• The Art of Mastery - Peter Ralston
• Your Life As Art - Robert Fritz

[MarkKol]

6 hours ago, CARDOZZO said:

@MarkKol

You can read these books to help you out:

• The Art of Mastery - Peter Ralston
• Your Life As Art - Robert Fritz

I bought the books 

[mr_engineer]

• You're not going to find a useful skill that you can just flow with like you're playing a video-game. A video-game is consumption-oriented, you're not technically 'doing anything'. The grind will always be there. 
• For the grind to not get to you, though, you need this skill to align with some creative-capacity of yours. This will fulfil you, fill your life with passion and give your life meaning. 
• If the wind is blowing too hard, consider the possibility that you're going too hard on yourself, you're going too quickly in the learning-process. You need to baby-step it more. 

[Dauntment]

10 hours ago, CARDOZZO said:

@MarkKol 

OBSESSION. 

One fucking word.

What are you obsessions? What areas are you obsessed with?

Spirituality? Fitness? Fashion? Engineering? Coding? Math? Woodwork?

My Obsessions:

• Being a Renaissance Man/Genius/Pioneer
• Learning
• Consciousness Research/Spirituality
• Coding
• Creativity/Inventions
• Science Fiction/Futurism

+1

But passion is CRITICAL, being talented/proficient also helps perpetuate motivation; kinda hard to want to do something you suck at (which is why passion is the primary fuel. "Because you WANT to" (because you LOVE it))

[UnbornTao]

Change your disposition. If you approach skill-building as a learning process, as something you like to do, it becomes easier to do. You're focusing on the result instead of on the whole process. 

[supremeyingyang]

22 hours ago, MarkKol said:

What I'm concerned about is my theory that the most successful people don't experience this as much, I can't find a skill that I just flow with as if I'm playing a video game.

Your theory is a recipe for disaster --

[CARDOZZO]

@MarkKol Cool, go ahead!  

[CARDOZZO]

@Dauntment Passion is cool but OBSESSION is another level.

Obsession is like a virus that consume yourself and you become it  

You can learn more at @zachpogrob at instagram about obsession theory  

[Ajax]

1.     In video games you are just copying someone’s design. It seems easier to paint when you are using a “paint by the numbers” canvas.

2.     The flow of a skill comes after years of practice.

3.     Your “theory” that successful people don’t experience growing pains is pure trash.

4.     Sorry. You reap what you sow. That’s just the way it works. No cheat codes for you.