[tsumnia]

> "Stay calm. Remember, you can’t become worse off than when you started."

Yup! I refer to this an "analysis paralysis" (a lot of my terms I'm stealing from martial arts). In essence, I freak out trying to fix my car because there are so many parts and I don't want to get it wrong, so I just... "don't". This is why we pay professionals the big bucks, but from a learning perspective, I think its what causes many people to abandon attempting something. They are scared to mess up, end up messing up, and leave due to feeling like a failure.

If, on the other hand, you can have an environment that supports experimentation and failure, and provides feedback on that failure, there will be less chance for abandoning the skill. This can be orchestrated through a combination of practice and a positive social network within the skill (peer mentors, growth mindset instructors, etc.). While persistence/perseverance/grit is still being researched, I think the social aspect can help strengthen it as well because you have a vested interest in succeeding and helping peers succeed.

"Sucking at something is the first step to becoming sorta good at something" ~Jake the Dog