We have gradually entered a world whereby you can learn anything even in the comfort of your room. Lately, there has been no need for physical tutoring and training, unless of course, you really just prefer it. I have people that says that they can not learn anything online, that it’s not just their thing. The truth is that, it actually takes a lot of dedication to thrive with self-learning. Takes even more if it’s an online learning, because you can easily get distracted and lose focus.
So there was this time I wanted to learn Product Design, otherwise known as UI/UX design. I was actually so in love with it because I love anything that deals with design and creativity. A friend bought me an Udemy course back then and I can still remember how excited I was to finally start a journey in something I had always loved. At that point, I was actually ready to give it all it takes and see it through till the end. This is like two years after the time, and I am nowhere near being a product designer, not to talk of being a professional.
Despite having passion for this skill and also starting nicely, it was very surprising that I wasn’t able to complete the course. It actually makes me scared of picking up skills, because I don’t want this to happen to me again, it actually limits the level of self-confidence that one has. I might have reasons that might sounds like valid reasons of how I was unable to fully commit to the learning of the skills, but at the same time, I personally don’t think they are enough reasons. I know I can be too hard on myself most times, but that’s only because I know what I am capable of. Isn’t it annoying that you know your know your potentials and you are still not exploring it? Anyway, I have actually chosen not to live that way anymore.
So, some of the reasons were;
- There was light issue at my hostel at the time, and I had to wait till someone puts on their generator. Even with that, I might have to charge a couple of times in a day because the battery of my then PC wasn’t so strong
- I had no mentor to actually put me through and I was doing it all alone. If something was not clear, I had to just figure it out on my own and that slows down my learning process
- I had school going on as well, and juggling both together was quite hectic. Sometimes, it gets me too distracted and before I know it, I have gone on a break.
- I had to spend a lot on data, and it’s not like I had an income that could really sponsor that. Most times, I depended on doing night subscriptions to download courses and then watch offline.
In short, there were a lot of constraints but at the same time, I do not believe that they were valid enough to make me stop it. There are people that do not even have access to things I had access to then, but still strived to stay focused and achieve their goal. So, I am really not going to give myself excuses, I could really have tried more.
Well, there was nothing much at the end of the day. I still have the course in my Udemy account and I am about to pick it up again, together with another skill. I will write on that fully when I am about to begin my journey. This time around, I will stay fully committed and see it through till the very end.
There’s this short sentence on one of my brother’s sticky notes that I love so much, I could even frame it later. It say ‘No matter what you want to do, don’t half-ass it!’
Thank you so much for reading ❤️