Getting Past the Wall

One of the things our team members here at EPI have in common is a love for lifetime learning. We not only get to enjoy the excitement and challenge of learning new things when working with our clients, but we continue to push ourselves to learn new things in our personal lives. 

Recently, one of my favorite websites, Lifehacker, had an interesting article called “How to Stick with It When You’re Learning Something New on Your Own.” 

The article has several great ideas. One that really hits home for me is to figure out how you learn best. For years, I’ve taken notes, recorded and listened to lectures, practiced whenever possible, etc. What got my attention was the suggestion about what to do when you hit the wall and are tempted to quit because you’re burnt out and/or frustrated. Lifehacker made a light bulb go off for me by explaining that this is when you need to change how you’re learning.

Recently I’ve hit that wall with my nature photography, a hobby that has brought me great pleasure in the past and which I want to continually improve at. My images tend to look the same; my approach is almost mechanical; and I’m not happy with my results. So, my solution to getting past the wall is to start over with the basics. I’ve given myself brief assignments that require me to practice all the photography basics. I find myself wanting to skip assignments because I “know how to do them,” but I’m determined to stick with it. 

I’ve also joined an online photography forum where participants offer constructive critiques and suggestions: They’ll be my “community of practice,” where I can learn from others and share what I’ve learned.

What do you do when you hit that wall?