One of my favorite memories from this past summer were family bike rides. My youngest kiddo for the longest time had no interest in learning how to ride her bike without training wheels. She was obsessed with her scooter and never cared to hop on a bike that could take her on even more adventures. Finally, early in the summer she was willing to let me spend time teaching her and once she fought through the learning curve, it was off to the races with nothing to stop her.

The learning curve was an interesting experience for my daughter. She had confidence she could pick it up quickly but after some initial struggle, she soon felt fear and doubt start to set in. What was once a physical lesson was quickly changing to be a mental focus. There was no uncertainty she could figure out how to ride her bike, but the lack of initial success generated doubt that mentally put her off track. I could tell in the couple of times we worked to get her comfortable riding there became a tipping point. A decision needed to be made that while doubt and fear were part of the equation, she knew she had to persevere and keep pushing to get better a little at a time. After the hard work and dedication out lasted doubt and fear, she was off on her bike with an endless path of road ahead.

Now that the training wheels are off it’s been a blast to go explore more of our neighborhood and beyond with her. Her perseverance and hard work opened the door to so many new opportunities and experiences. I loved reflecting on her learning path because it’s a good microcosm of so many of the learning curves we face. Excited and optimistic of success early in the process only to run into plenty of moments of humbleness and struggle. The mind then creates moments of doubt and fear to question whether what we’re chasing is even possible. If perseverance continues to be a part of the equation, then we can work through fear and doubt to remain focused on what we’re working to accomplish. It may not happen in the timeline we want or expect, but if we choose to give up, we have guaranteed we’ll fall short. If we persist, we give ourselves a chance at stepping closer to success.

These moments of time, and there will be many, where doubt makes us choose whether to keep pushing ahead or to give in will be the turning points to whether we continue along the learning curve or fall off. At work you may be facing a giant learning curve in a new role, understanding how to leverage AI, or connecting how new legislation may impact your work. In our health and wellness journey there may be a new challenge you’re taking on and there will be plenty of moments of doubt that will question your focus and commitment.

New opportunities to grow are abundant and whether we realize it or not, we’ve all had an extensive number of moments conquering a tough learning curve. Where have you tackled a steep learning curve and pushed aside fear and doubt to persevere? What were consistencies in behaviors that led to successes pushing through the learning curve?

Too often we forget the trials we’ve already been through. We’ve forgotten the steep learning curves we’ve conquered because that knowledge and experience has now become our standard. Within your growth journey you’ve already proven to yourself what it takes to conquer the learning curve for something you care about. You’ve faced fear and doubt in the past and there’s no reason the learning curve you’re on right now can’t be conquered.

It may feel like it’s the steepest curve you’ve faced. You may have an endless number of hurdles lined up right now. But there’s a recipe of conquering learning curves you’ve already discovered and there’s more to add to this recipe through exploration. Start assessing what those behaviors of success have been in the past and analyze whether these behaviors can help you with the current struggle you’re working through. Below are some considerations for how you can add to the recipe of successfully conquering difficult times that come with a steep learning curve:

• Pause and reflect how far you’ve come, not just where you’re at right now: emotional intensity tends to be highest in the moments of frustration. Pause and take time to analyze the progress that has been made and focus on how you’re further along than your starting point. Timelines don’t go as fast as we’d like but it doesn’t mean progress hasn’t been made. Keep perspective on the growth that has happened instead of frustration of the current state of struggle.
• Anchor back to the why: when the struggles come with a steep learning curve, it’s easy to debate whether the effort needed is worth it. But there’s a reason why this learning curve process was started. There’s a why to taking on the challenge and when doubt creeps in anchor back to the why.
• Keep the feedback loop going: it’s a learning curve because it’s new and challenging. If we’re open, we’ll understand there are resources around us that have good insight to progressing through the learning process. These Accelerators help propel us through difficult times while providing guidance and mentorship along the way. Listen to the feedback and soak in the insights others are willing to share.
• Reset expectations: when we think something is going to be easier than what it is, frustration often follows. But when we come into situations that are new and challenging, we must expect difficulty. When we come in expecting to struggle, we’re not surprised when the moments of difficulty arrive. Resetting expectations to understand struggle will come can mentally prepare us for the inevitable difficult times.

Take your step: identify an area in life you feel you’re in the middle of a steep learning curve. You may feel you’re at a moment where the struggle may seem to be too much but just know it’s only a moment of difficulty to strengthen you for the future. Now comes how to work through the struggle. Start by reflecting on just how far you’ve come – not just where you’re at right now but where you came from in the start of the journey. Keep anchoring back to why you started on this journey and invite in feedback along the way from those that can accelerate your development. Last, reset expectations. Learning curves that are worth pursuing are difficult and there will be struggle. Expect the difficulty and embrace it knowing the tough times create the greatest opportunities.