• What have you learnt lately?
• Did you like learning at school?
• How do you feel when you need to learn something new?

First, listen to the recording without looking at the text. Can you grasp what the main idea of this article is?

LEARNING IS UNCOMFORTABLE

Being a beginner at something can feel 1. awkward and 2. embarrassing, especially if you’re used to being an expert. But those feelings are the 3. inescapable growth pains that come from developing and improving. To get used to the discomfort, know that it’s brave to be a beginner. Exposing your weaknesses and trying new things 4. takes courage. You can make the challenge a bit easier by looking for learning situations where 5. the stakes are low — maybe a class where you’re not expected to be an expert or you don’t know anyone else. If it helps, tell fellow participants that you may mess up whatever you’re about to 6. attempt. Your willingness to take risks may inspire others to do the same. And whatever you do, don’t stop learning. Keep pushing yourself, especially in the areas where you are 7. accomplished, so you can get even better. If you are willing to feel embarrassment and shame, and even to fail, there’s no end to what you can do.

This tip is adapted from “Learning Is Supposed to Feel Uncomfortable,” by Peter Bregman

• How does it feel to be a beginner at something?
• What does it take to be a successful beginner at something?
• How to limit the inescapable feeling of uneasiness related to learning something new?
• How can being brave and open affect fellow participants in the learning process?
• Which areas you should particularly keep pushing yourself?
• How important is one’s willingness to feel embarrassed?

How do you feel about learning new things? Do you enjoy learning new things and skills or do you consider it hard and unpleasant necessity? What was the most uncomfortable learning experience for you?

Share your experience and views here.