Learning is such an important phase of human development, It is standard to desire advancement throughout the learning phase, from beginner to other advanced levels but there is something very peculiar about the beginner's mind that we seem to lose along the way as we get better at our skills.
There is this hunger and pure effort that comes from the beginner's mind, that strong thirst for knowledge. The drive to keep proving yourself each step of the way. This process might not be really fun for the beginner but from the outside looking in, I guess it actually has a lot of value.
ZEN
The Asian philosophy of ZEN also follows this practice of emptying the mind, as the old saying goes: "you can't pour into an already filled cup."
The beginner's mind can help us attain this state of being...
Like everyone reading this, I've also had tons of experiences with the beginner's mind, although sometimes it is easy to get frustrated when the learning curve is getting steep but embracing the beginner's mind is a self-conscious step towards growth.
Personally, during my recent endeavors in game development, I happen to find myself dwelling a lot in this beginner's state of mind, Although the beginner's mind can help one learn faster and soak up as much knowledge as possible, there are often some pitfalls to watch out for when practicing this philosophy.
I will be speaking about some cons which I've observed in my personal life and how to maneuver through such situations.
TUTORIAL HELL
I have totally lost count of how many bookmarks and youtube videos I've saved on different subjects, and the number seems to be increasing lol... It's easy to get trapped into this circle of endless learning without action. One way to overcome this is to just dive into whatever practice you are doing head-first, unless you are into a professional certification. I found out that in most cases It is much more beneficial to get your hands dirty after a while of studying, you don't need to learn every single term, syntax, etc... JUST DIVE IN, as time goes on you might realize how to sieve out the knowledge you really need to accomplish your tasks.
IMPOSTER SYNDROME
During the stages of learning and dwelling in this beginner mindset, As you advance your skills, It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking you are not good enough yet or thinking you don't know enough to showcase your skills but this is a self-sabotaging move that limits us.
Personally, I've also dealt with this phenomenon but it is good to take a step back and feel proud of your accomplishments.
In such cases, we become our own worst critics, yes critiquing your own work has an advantage in perfecting your skills but we shouldn't dwell on this too much.
BE PATIENT
It is also important to not be too hard on ourselves or you could risk being burned out, learn to take short breaks, take a stroll, breathe in some fresh hair or even take a nap. There have been scientific researches that have proven that being flexible with our learning-drills can aid our brains neuro-plasticity. In order to acquire those skills and satisfy that hunger for knowledge we also have to consider our general well-being.
I hope I've been able to shed some light to whoever reads this as we all are on our long path to self-discovery and growth. Thanks for reading...