Thinking of starting something new this year?

Avoid feeling overwhelmed and make small progress that works for you.

Amid the noise of positive reflections on last year, rejuvenating winter breaks and pumped up enthusiasm for 2021, for many this January is a bit…meh.

If you’re finding it hard to get going, I’ve got your back because a slow year is the perfect time to try something new, if you start small.

Read on for lessons from a slow tortoise learner who failed her driving theory test 5 times*.

Photo credit: @massimonegrello on Unsplash. *There’s one tortoise (or turtle if you’re being pedantic) for every theory test I’ve ever taken. Twice in the UK and a grand total of 5 in Spain. Go me!

I'll come clean, while I might appear super intelligent (and incredibly good looking), there are some things that I just. don't. get.

Coordination is one of them. See me on the dance floor and you won't forget it.

Last year, before all the slopes were closed, I finally learnt to ski. After much frustration, terror and falls, I learnt to move on skis without falling over. Slowly, if you're an experienced skier, sure. Still quite terrified. Definitely not an expert.

But damn it, I got down those blue baby slopes like nobody's business and I even enjoyed myself.

The thing is, some things can’t be learned quickly.

So enjoy the process, and take it one step at a time.

Skiing as metaphor. Take it one swoosh at a time in 2021.

So, what do you want to do?

Whether you want to learn a new language, run a marathon, or nail how to properly boil an egg to your satisfaction, this approach will set you up for optimal success in just 3 minutes!

Only joking. You'll have setbacks and frustrations just like everyone else. But it is a good place to start.

Let's get going (slowly).

Photo credit: Michael Dziedzic on Unsplash. Think snail-paced, not speedy gonzales.

1. Break it down

Everything looks scary if you aim for perfection from the get-go.

Maybe you want to learn another language? Don't expect to be your usual, hilarious self within months (ahem, or years. Unless you're a mime artist).

Break it down into manageable chunks: words, then sentences, then verb tenses.

If you're always thinking about what you can't do, you'll end up overwhelmed (and more likely to give up).

Try having short conversations before you launch into philosophical discussions. You'll save yourself a lot of headaches (and complicated verb tenses).

Worried you won't be able to commit? Start small and consistent.

Set aside 10 minutes a day for French practice and once that becomes habit, increase your commitment.

2. Don't look down, don't look up

If you skipped my charming anecdote about learning to ski, then this might go over your head.

The only way I managed to get down terrifying slopes when I was learning to ski, was to not look down. Sure, I had to look in front of me to make sure I didn't crash into someone or —worst nightmare—fall off the side of the slope into the abyss to be lost forever.

Looking up at the near-vertical black slopes was stomach-churning (still is, tbh), but I'll get there one day.

Learning by only focusing on what was right in front of me meant I could just concentrate on the actions of what I was doing. And I got better.

nemojustkeepswimming — In the wise words of Nemo, just keep swimming

Photo credit @rachelhisko

This doesn't only apply to physical activities either, although this skiing metaphor is serving me pretty well.

Looking to change career and start a new skill?

Concentrate on your own progress and don't get overwhelmed by those higher up the ladder (...or mountain? right?).

You can learn a lot from them, but remember, they started somewhere too.

3. Don't strive for perfection

You're not going to be good at the beginning. You might even be terrible.

Malcolm Gladwell reckons it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill or become an expert.

That sounds like a lot, but how many hours does it take to be mediocre? Or satisfactory?

Embrace the middle ground and see where it gets you.

Sure, you might not become a concert pianist but you can learn to play a song with both hands moving at the same time! That's already pretty impressive in my book.

You'll mess up, make some embarrassing faux-pas in front of a group of new cool French friends because you misunderstood gender nouns, mistakenly think you can play well enough to perform in public, misjudge your abilities and fall all the way down a red slope, stopping only to have a tantrum and denounce skiing forever*.

Get stuff wrong. Then get over it.

*I've done all these things and lived to tell the tale. You can too.

4. Keep going

This is one of the best things about being an adult so enjoy it: doing something for yourself, where you set the boundaries and limitations.

Consider the growth mindset, where there is always more to learn, more to do. You are not static and you can always change, however small that change may be.

One foot in front of another will make progress, trust me!