“Once you decide to make changes and follow through on that decision you are in a new process. Whether you’re at the beginning or somewhere along the way, you’ve entered the process we call the Conscious Competence stage of learning and acquisition. There are four defined stages. Not knowing you don’t know we call Unconscious Incompetence. Then there’s knowing you don’t know.

It’s called Conscious Incompetence. The longest phase you will be in is the Conscious Competence and it’s where you attempt new things, get feedback, talk yourself through it and attempt to consciously manage all the components. It’s that phase you went through while learning to ride a bike or drive a car. How you go through this determines how swiftly and easily you go through this phase.

Eventually, you acquire new habits or thought, feeling, speaking and action, the wire in neurologically and become automatic and reliable. You don’t have to think about the learning process any longer, in the same way you eventually rode the bike or drove the car. You now do it. This phase we call Unconscious Competence because you don’t have to think about it to do it. You can, but don’t have to.

While in process know you aren’t done. You are on the way to making your new skills a habit, but you aren’t there yet. Relax in the process. Don’t fight it. Understand it. Work with it. You move through it faster when you assist it instead of resisting it. Be patient. Pursue your dreams with a relaxed positive mindset. Remind yourself, you are IN the process! Enjoy it. Have fun. Make it fun. Delight in it.

Just as when you cook a beautiful meal you prepare it, season it, and cook it. It takes the time it takes. If you remove it from the oven early, it won’t be the meal you anticipate. Give it the time it needs. As you develop the habits of success you gain momentum. Everything becomes easier and you handle difficulties better. It takes time and correct repetition for a long enough time for a habit to be born.

You are creating new neural pathways and behaviors. New thoughts lead to new behaviors. It’s an exciting time if you let it be. It can be a time of delight and wonderful enjoyment. You will learn and have many ‘ahas’ and insights that can thrill you and inspire you. You can be motivated and excited to incorporate your learnings. Best thing you can do is love yourself, encourage and nurture yourself.

End self-criticism. Stop thinking you should be further along. You are where you are. Enjoy it. Validate it. Pat yourself on the back. Affirm your progress and enjoy your progress. Recognize where you are in the process, and it becomes easier. It may not make everything fantastic but when you understand a bit about what you are going through and what you may expect to encounter it takes the edge off.

Once the edge is off, you’re free to feel as incredible as you will choose to. It is up to you! This recognition and understanding allows you to remember to put your attention in areas that matter. That way you don’t drift or get distracted. Stay focused. Don’t get sidetracked by circumstances, doubts, fear or worry. If you delight in the process, you’ll stay focused much more naturally. It works this way.

If you have my book ‘Life On Your Terms’ I cover this and more in more depth. If you have the book but didn’t get my $497 training on the process of mastering new habits and talents, ‘The Mastery Loop™’ you want to get it today. I will give it to you for free when you purchase the book from amazon. Details are at rex sikes.com/book Get your book and bonus training it will help you so much!

Know this! YOU can be the success you want. You can have happiness, love, wealth, health, anything your heart desires when you take 100% responsibility for learning how to make these happen. Apply what you are learning. Knowledge is useless unless you use it. Use what you’re learning and make yourself who you want to be. Transform your mind and heart and you transform your life. Celebrate everything!” Rex Sikes