The Learning Curve

That which we persist in doing,
becomes easier for us to do;
not that the nature of the thing itself is changed,
but that our power to do is increased.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Just about everything new that you attempt is difficult at first. You've never done it before, so you don't know what to expect. You don't know how much time things will take. You don't know where to go for information. You're not sure you can do it.

The best approach is to jump right in and try. If there's something you want to, or need to do, then just get started. Take the first step. That first step may be awkward and slow, but you learn from it.

Experience is the best teacher. Sure, you can prepare by reading and watching and analyzing. Don't develop analysis paralysis, though. Don't spend so much time preparing for something that you never get around to doing it. At some point, you just need to get started. Once you've done that, once you've made that commitment, you have momentum on your side. And your experience will teach you things that no book ever could.

-Ralph Marston