Mastering any skill is a long process filled with learning, practice, and failure. Without learning, all practice will do is ingrain bad habits. If don\u2019t practice, everything you learn will fall right out of your head. And if you never risk failure, you\u2019re hobbling your learning. You need all three, otherwise you plateau.<\/p>\n
The slow climb to mastery mountain usually starts with a gentle slope. As you rise in skill, you\u2019ll meet many hikers along the way. At this point, everyone\u2019s a dabbler. There are no real stakes involved. This part of the climb tends to be fun, unless some jerk is hiding in the bushes throwing stones at other people. At this stage, harsh criticism is neither welcome nor helpful \u2013 we\u2019ll come to that later.<\/p>\n
If you keep at it, you\u2019ll reach the competency plateau. The work is still fun and comfortable. Your skill may even make you money at this stage, because it\u2019s finally good enough that people will pay for it. You\u2019ll have much congenial company here, but don\u2019t fool yourself: most people resting on their laurels aren\u2019t going anywhere. There are three types of people who climb no further:<\/p>\n
1. Dabblers<\/strong> are the people who\u2019ve tried something for long enough to figure out they didn\u2019t like it enough to continue. They\u2019re often distracted by far more attractive mountains on the horizon, so they climb down and make the slow ascent up some other track. However, all mountains look blue on the horizon. If you turn from them as they turn to muddy grey, you\u2019re turning away from reality to chase a dream. If you want to turn a dream into reality, you need to grasp the jagged rocks ahead and start climbing.<\/p>\n 2. Hobbyists<\/strong> are perfectly happy staying on the plateau because they\u2019re doing it as an escape from their real jobs. Hobbyists are generally chill, so it\u2019s best to leave them to do their own thing. Again, harsh criticism is often not welcome here. Hobbies are great, so don\u2019t come down on someone for not taking something seriously because they\u2019re just having fun.<\/p>\n 3. Hacks<\/strong> either keep to themselves, turning out a decent living with competent work, or are pernicious \u201cgurus\u201d who offer to teach you how to climb the mountain ahead, even though they\u2019ve never conquered it themselves. Beware the latter, because he is either a dunce who doesn\u2019t know how awful he is, or is out to scam you. Though, if you only want to learn how to be a competent hack yourself, he has much to teach you. He\u2019s this guy:<\/p>\n