Ever try to learn something new and feel like your brain is made of mashed potatoes?
Good news: that’s exactly how it’s supposed to feel.
From a neuroscience perspective, learning a new skill is like handing your brain a blank coloring book and saying, “Go wild.” At the beginning, everything is 100% conscious effort. Every. Single. Step. You’re mentally narrating every move like you’re teaching a toddler the alphabet. “Okay now, grab the pen… no, the other end… form the letter ‘J’ like a hook, not like a melted candy cane…”
Why? Because your brain is firing up a brand-new neural network. It’s never done this before. It’s like building a hiking trail in the woods: the first few passes are awkward and slow. But every time you repeat the action, you trample the weeds a little more. The trail gets clearer. The path easier.
Think back to when you first learned to write your name. Even if the memory is a bit foggy, you probably remember how it felt like you were fighting a battle between your hand and the alphabet. Some of those letters looked like ancient cave drawings. But with every repetition, it got smoother, until one day, boom, you didn’t even have to think about it. Your only conscious thought now is probably, “Where is my pen?”
This magic is thanks to something called neuroplasticity. This is your brain’s ability to rewire itself, even as an adult. As Verywell Mind explains:
“Your brain is constantly reshaping itself in response to learning and experience.”
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886
And that wiring gets stronger with repetition. This is what Hebbian theory (the science-y version of “practice makes perfect”) calls: “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebbian_theory
In other words, your brain loves consistency. Not in a boring way. In a “give me more reps and I’ll make this easier for you” kind of way.
It’s the same reason you can now brush your teeth, tie your shoes, and hum your favorite songs all at the same time. Your brain turned what used to be hard into autopilot.
This is all part of what psychologists call the Four Stages of Competence:
- Unconscious Incompetence (you don’t know that you suck yet),
- Conscious Incompetence (now you know you suck and it’s frustrating),
- Conscious Competence (you can do it, but you’re sweating through it),
- Unconscious Competence (you’re a rock star and don’t even think about it anymore).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_stages_of_competence
The takeaway? You already have everything you need to learn any skill you want. Your brain is built for it. The trick is to stop thinking of learning as a talent contest and start thinking of it like building muscle. Reps, baby.
So the next time you feel clumsy, slow, or like your brain checked out for lunch—just remind yourself: “Oh yeah, this is the part where I lay down the trail.” Stick with it. Repeat. And let your brain do what it does best: turn effort into ease.
Because the truth is… you’re not bad at learning. You’re just pre-awesome.