How to Stay Consistent While Learning a New Skill

Consistency is so much more important than intensity when learning something new. Instead of cramming for hours once a week, show up every day, even if it is just 20 minutes long. That small but steady approach takes a really great time and makes for phenomenal long-term progress. A great way to achieve this is by setting small daily targets. Don’t aim to learn a new skill in a week. Instead, say, “I’ll watch one tutorial today,” or “I’ll run 10 lines of code.”

One very useful psychological trick is the 2 day rule: never miss two days in a row. Missing one day is human; two is the start of something new, though it’s usually not a productive habit. Visualize progress in order not to fall from your track. Use a calendar, habit tracker, or notebook where you mark off each day you actually showed up. Such a cue will inspire a sense of pride while motivating you to go on. And when you reach a small milestone, however minor, celebrate it. Complete your first web page? Buy yourself a treat. Recognition fuels consistency.

Make it easy to be consistent by also reducing friction. All your tools should be at the ready. Be aware of what you are preparing to do, and have set up your space. The fewer barriers between you and your task, the easier it will be to get started. Finally, change the identity that you project for yourself: “I’m not learning to code; I’m a developer.” Consistently doing what you say and not just thinking about it makes it second nature to be consistent.

Motivation is variable: it comes and goes. But only through routine is mastery accomplished. Even when it gets messy and you don’t want to be there, just keep trying. That’s how true development happens.