Learning is Hard
When I first started running my business, it felt like everything—apart from coaching—was completely new.
I had to figure out strategy, marketing, finance, event planning, insurance, technology and so much more.
Learning is hard work, and when it feels like everything is new, it can be downright overwhelming.
I don’t think I’ll ever forget the Friday night, I was organising a global event for 70 people. I was juggling booking, new software, time zones and the weight of expectation. The stakes were high. I ended up in tears of frustration. It felt impossible and yet why did everyone lese make it look so easy! Step by step, I got through it. (there was no choice)
"Taking no chances means wasting your dreams"
ellen hopkins
Welcome to the mountain
Fast forward to now, and I’ve done so much learning that I’ve started to take new challenges in my stride.
But that doesn’t mean the learning ever stops.
Last Thursday, I found myself right back at the start of another learning curve. My mentor set me a challenge to learn a completely new skill using an app I’d never used before. I thought, How hard can this be?—and dove in headfirst, full of confidence, in fact some of the functions I’d overcome in other apps , were in this one – EASY! (not)
At that moment, I was standing on the peak of what has been called Mount Stupid, the point of most confidence and the least competence. I was absolutely convinced I’d nailed it. I thought, This is brilliant! I’ve got this! … until it was gently pointed out to me that I really, really didn’t.
Thankfully, it was late at night, and not many people noticed my very public mistake. Those that did were understanding!
Here’s the irony of Mount Stupid: you don’t realise you’re standing on it until you start learning more.
It’s part of the Dunning-Kruger effect, and explains how people with the least knowledge are often the most confident because they don’t yet know how much there is to learn.
The joy of that experience
I’m delighted I had the experience of realising I was on the top of that mountain.
It was a genuine wow moment for me because it meant:
- I had the courage to try something completely new.
- I learned first hand how valuable failure can be as a teacher.
- I saw how much room there was for growth—and got excited about the possibilities.
- I was reminded that mistakes are part of the learning process.
- I gained a deeper appreciation for the resilience I’ve built over time.
Learning is messy, and it’s also transformational. When we lean into the discomfort of not knowing, we open the door to growth. It’s not about avoiding failure; it’s about treating every new challenge as an experiment. Predict what you think will happen, give it your best shot, and reflect on the results. Even if things don’t go as planned, you’ll walk away with something valuable—real knowledge.
If you’re staring down a daunting challenge, let me remind you: you were brave enough to try. That’s what matters most.
Not everyone takes that first step, but you did, and that’s worth celebrating.
Keep experimenting. Keep learning. And when imposter thinking tries to stop you in your tracks? Tell it to step aside.
You’re on your way to something incredible.
