1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,039 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that learning is not a linear process. 4 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: With many skills, there is a long slow start before 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:30,479 Speaker 1: a rapid acceleration. As you learn anything new, you have 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 1: to hang on for that early climb. Today's tip, like 7 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: another one this week, comes from Whitney Johnson's new book 8 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: Smart Growth. In this book, Whitney explores how people learn 9 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: and change and achieve their goals. One of her key 10 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,320 Speaker 1: images is the S curve. Now, don't think of an 11 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: S like you type a capital S or write one 12 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: with the two curves sitting on top of each other. Instead, 13 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: imagine it as a bit more stretched out and turned 14 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: a bit on its side. The slope of the first 15 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,200 Speaker 1: stretch is low, but then there is a point of 16 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: acceleration where the slope increases until it levels out at 17 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: some other point. Whitney tells us that this S curve 18 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: represents how we learn. There is a long slow start 19 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: before a rapid acceleration of skill acquisition. Eventually there is 20 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: mastery with incremental gains, but that's a long way in 21 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 1: the future. Knowing what this curve looks like can keep 22 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: us motivated as we go. I can see that these 23 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: days with my fourth grade daughter, who is learning to 24 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: play the trumpet. Her school offers lessons, so she decided 25 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: to give it a try. Let's just say it has 26 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 1: not been easy. Learning to play the trumpet involves learning 27 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 1: how to shape your mouth and blow air in a 28 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: certain way. You have to figure out that part before 29 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: you even get around to playing the notes you are 30 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: aiming for and then playing them in the right order 31 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: for any given song. It took a long time before 32 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,239 Speaker 1: she got a real trumpet sound. It then took longer 33 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: before she could play recognizable sequences of notes. Then finally, 34 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: right before Christmas, she managed to play something that truly 35 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: sounded like jingle bells. It was a proud moment. She 36 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: also told me that while she didn't think she was 37 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: particularly good at the trumpet at this point, she was 38 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 1: also making swifter progress than some of her bandmates who 39 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: were perhaps not practicing as much. We talked about why 40 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: that might be, and hit upon the rather understandable reason 41 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: that it is not rewarding to practice when you aren't 42 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: making music yet and honestly aren't really making much of 43 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: a sound beyond that of air rushing through your lips, 44 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: So people stay at the bottom of the S curve. 45 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: There is progress, but it is barely perceptible and possibly 46 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: not so pleasant. It is hard to see that you 47 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: might only be a dozen hours or so of practice 48 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: from jingle bells, and then once you get through jingle bells, 49 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 1: you can learn many more pieces. You can play real melodies, 50 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: so you want to play more, and when you want 51 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: to play more, you do play more, and then you 52 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: really start rising up the steep part of the S curve. Now, 53 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: there are many things in life that we won't bother 54 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: with the S curve. One way or the other. I 55 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,840 Speaker 1: cannot play the trumpet, and I am pretty sure I 56 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: will go to my grave not knowing how to play 57 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: the trumpet. But if there is something you want to learn, 58 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: then it is probably wise to take Whitney's advice in 59 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: Smart Growth about paying attention to the S curve. Understanding 60 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: when you are in the flat lower part can give 61 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: you the motivation to just keep pushing through. There is 62 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: a rapid phase coming, It just takes a little bit 63 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:27,679 Speaker 1: to get there. In the meantime, this is Laura, Thanks 64 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:32,039 Speaker 1: for listening and here's to making the most of our time. 65 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: Hey everybody, I'd love to hear from you. You can 66 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just 67 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before 68 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: Breakfast pod. That's B the number four, then Breakfast p 69 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: o D. You can also shoot me an email at 70 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com that 71 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,119 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks 72 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 1: so much, I look forward to staying in touch. Before 73 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: Breakfast is a production of I heart Radio. For more 74 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 75 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:22,120 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.