Keep Going … You’ve Got This!

The best predictor

What is the strongest predictor in helping infants learn how to walk?

Is it age, brain development, centre of gravity, height, weight, or any other innate trait?

No, it’s experience (Adolph et al., 2003).

Infants accumulate massive amounts of time-distributed, variable practice. With each day of walking, they take more steps, travel farther distances, and fall less; and they may be motivated to walk in the first place because it takes them farther faster than crawling without increased risk of falling (Adolph et al., 2012, emphasis added).

Keep showing up

Perhaps you’re in the process of learning something new.

You try and fail. Then pick yourself up, try again and fall down. Every attempt seems like it’s met with some setback. If you’re like me, you feel frustrated, discouraged and want to throw in the towel.

Don’t.

Despite never having met you in person, I’m willing to bet: you’ve got what it takes. How can I be so confident? Because if you’re reading this, you’ve learnt how to read (and I’m guessing you’ve learnt how to walk and talk too).

To get good at something, be willing to be bad at it first. Then increase the amount of time you practice — baby step by baby step.

It’s written on a wall

Last week, my eldest brother posted a quote on Facebook. He’d seen it written on a wall. I read it a few hours ago when I was beating myself up for not knowing what to write this blog post about. The quote seemed appropriate. Maybe it’ll help you too …

Just because you’re struggling, it doesn’t mean you are failing ❤️