“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”― Abraham Lincoln

This may seem obvious, because it is, but to be an successful learner you will need to have the right attitude. This is especially important if your pursuing something on your own without the support of a formalized class or group of other learns to help you get through the tough spots.

Having the right attitude is was gets you beyond week two when the glamor of mastering a new skill has worn off, and your telling yourself what a silly idea it was to have ever thought this was a good idea in the first place. It's what keeps you engaged when you've been beating your head against a problem all day, and it's what keeps you from giving up when you think you'll never be as good as you want or feel you need to be.

A learner's attitude:

Be excited about what your learning, if your not reevaluate whether it's something your really want to learn (unless your in the valley of despair, then you need to use your mental escape route). By being excited your going to naturally be curious and want to explore the subject, which are fundamental aspects of successful learning.

Similar to being excited, and stemming from it, you should be interested in what your learning. Immerse yourself as much as possible, scour the internet for the best books, podcasts, blogs, and videos on the subject. Join a few groups via the internet or real life meet-ups that are also studying or discussing the subject. When learning something new you need to be able to set aside doubts so can put on your safari hat and dive into the jungle head first.

Be open to sharing what you're learning. Telling or teaching others what you're learning is one of the best ways to truly understand and solidify what you know. Also, share what you're finding difficult, because while it's important to challenge yourself to solve problems, when you get stuck don't be afraid to ask for help.

Finally, don't be ashamed by your lack of knowledge, everyone starts from zero. The feeling that you have started late, or will never catch up to others can quickly poison the well of learning if you let it. The learner's mind is excited by the fact that they can start learning a domain they have no previous knowledge of, it becomes an opportunity for exponential learning, not a disadvantage.

Build a mental escape route:

The things that are the most valuable to learn are often the most challenging, and with anything challenging you are going to at times feel overwhelmed. That is why it's important to plan a mental escape route before you become overwhelmed. The last thing you want to do when your doubting yourself is try to think of ways to to get back in the right frame of mind precisely because you will be in the wrong frame of mind to do so. If you've already made a plan you don't have to think about it, which means your more likely to follow it and get your state of mind back on track.

It's important to understand that when you are feeling overwhelmed and frustrated your are in a state of distress and your brain chemistry has literally changed. A little stress, such as feeling challenged, keeps you engaged and can actually help you retain memories, but too much and your ability to focus and retain information drops off. The goal of having the mental escape route is to get your brain chemistry back in balance by doing things that move it in the other direction.

Suggestions for your mental escape route.

1. Stop what your doing, take a few minutes try to empty your mind and just breath deeply.
2. Listen to a song that makes your feel good or gets your energy up. (I like R.E.M.'s "It's the end of the world as we know it")
3. Imagine yourself in the future and how good you will feel after overcoming whatever is currently overwhelming you.
4. Reenforce yourself with a positive inner dialogue.
5. Write out what your having trouble with and some actions you can take to overcome the problem. Make sure to break the problem and actions down into the smallest possible steps. When you finish do the easiest one on the list.

I hope this overview on a learner's attitude and suggestions for staying in the right frame of mind help you on your way to a lifetime of learning new things.
Next up will be the art of pragmatic practice.

Feel free to continue and add to this conversation with me over email ichabodcole@gmail.com.