Starting to learn a new skill or revisiting one that is rusty can become overwhelming. Whether you have decided to tap dance, take up the piano, do some woodworking or learn American Sign Language, there are times when you will likely feel stalled.
David Foster Wallace, author of Infinite Jest, wrote an interesting article about reaching plateaus in the learning process. Wallace pulls from a variety of references to share three suggested ways to overcome these inevitable plateaus:
We appreciated how he shared this thought during the introduction of his piece,
The journey of improvement is not a linear progression where one success builds upon the next. Rather, “you proceed toward mastery through a series of plateaus, so there’s radical improvement up to a certain plateau and then what looks like a stall.”
CLICK HERE if you would like to read the entire article.
At ASLdeafined, we couldn’t agree more! When challenging your mind and body to master a task, perseverance is one of the most important keys to success, but you should expect and forgive yourself during those times when you naturally slow down. Practice is of course known to be of great value, and that is particularly true when working through the sometimes complicated aspects of ASL. Lastly, it is OK to feel uncertain when exploring new territory. Part of an enriching experience is that sense of uneasiness that comes when you take the risk of diving your brain into something new. In fact, we tend to believe that those difficult moments are often when your mind is doing its hardest work!
We are here to remind you that although you may run into some cloudy weather along the way, ASLdeafined exists to support you and help focus your energies on the ever popular pie in the sky… or, in this case, we suggest you set your sights on the sun, take the plunge and join (or reunite) with the unique and talented individuals across the globe that communicate through sign language. We’ll always be here to throw you a life line!
