1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that learning is not a linear process. 4 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: With many skills, there is a long slow start before 5 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: a rapid acceleration. As you learn anything new, you have 6 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: to hang on for that early climb. Today's tip, like 7 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,200 Speaker 1: another one this week, comes from Whitney Johnson's new book 8 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: Smart Growth. In this book, Whitney explores how people learn 9 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: and change and achieve their goals. One of her key 10 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: images is the S curve. Now, don't think of an 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: S like you type a capital S or write one 12 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: with the two curves sitting on top of each other. Instead, 13 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: imagine it as a bit more stretched out and turned 14 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:05,320 Speaker 1: a bit on its side. The slope of the first 15 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: stretch is low, but then there is a point of 16 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: acceleration where the slope increases until it levels out at 17 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: some other point. Whitney tells us that this S curve 18 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: represents how we learn. There is a long slow start 19 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: before a rapid acceleration of skill acquisition. Eventually there is 20 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: mastery with incremental gains, but that's a long way in 21 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: the future. Knowing what this curve looks like can keep 22 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: us motivated as we go. I can see that these 23 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: days with my fourth grade daughter, who is learning to 24 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,760 Speaker 1: play the trumpet. Her school offers lessons, so she decided 25 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,560 Speaker 1: to give it a try. Let's just say it has 26 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: not been easy. Learning to play the trumpet involves learning 27 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 1: how to shape your mouth and blow air in a 28 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: certain way. You have to figure out that part before 29 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: you even get around to playing the notes you are 30 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: aiming for and then playing them in the right order 31 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: for any given song. It took a long time before 32 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: she got a real trumpet sound. It then took longer 33 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: before she could play recognizable sequences of notes. Then finally, 34 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: right before Christmas, she managed to play something that truly 35 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: sounded like jingle bells. It was a proud moment. She 36 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:36,800 Speaker 1: also told me that while she didn't think she was 37 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: particularly good at the trumpet at this point, she was 38 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,839 Speaker 1: also making swifter progress than some of her bandmates who 39 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 1: were perhaps not practicing as much. We talked about why 40 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: that might be, and hit upon the rather understandable reason 41 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: that it is not rewarding to practice when you aren't 42 00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:00,400 Speaker 1: making music yet and honestly aren't really making much of 43 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: a sound beyond that of air rushing through your lips, 44 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 1: So people stay at the bottom of the S curve. 45 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: There is progress, but it is barely perceptible and possibly 46 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: not so pleasant. It is hard to see that you 47 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: might only be a dozen hours or so of practice 48 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: from jingle bells, and then once you get through jingle bells, 49 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: you can learn many more pieces. You can play real melodies, 50 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: so you want to play more, and when you want 51 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: to play more, you do play more, and then you 52 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,320 Speaker 1: really start rising up the steep part of the S curve. Now, 53 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: there are many things in life that we won't bother 54 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: with the S curve. One way or the other. I 55 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: cannot play the trumpet, and I am pretty sure I 56 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: will go to my grave not knowing how to play 57 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 1: the trumpet. But if there is something you want to learn, 58 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: then it is probably wise to take Whitney's advice in 59 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: Smart Growth about paying attention to the S curve. Understanding 60 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: when you are in the flat lower part can give 61 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: you the motivation to just keep pushing through. There is 62 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: a rapid phase coming, It just takes a little bit 63 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 1: to get there. In the meantime, this is Laura, Thanks 64 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: for listening and here's to making the most of our time. 65 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can 66 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just 67 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before 68 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four, then Breakfast 69 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 70 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:00,719 Speaker 1: at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com 71 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 72 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 73 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,880 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For 74 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart 75 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 76 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: favorite shows.