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The Four Stages on Learning

Greeley

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
This was posted on Steve Schnitzer web site for waterskiing. I think it is pretty appropriate for all sports.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LEARNING

In learning any skill, be it carpentry, pottery, snow or water-skiing, everyone goes through these four stages of learning.

1. The first stage is UNCONSIOUS INCOMPETENCE. This means we don’t even know we are incompetent at a certain skill.
2. Stage 2 is called CONSIOUS INCOMPETENCE. This is where we are conscious of this certain skill, and can perform it somewhat, when we can remember to do it.
3. In Stage 3, we hit CONSIOUS COMPETENCE which is where we can perform this skill competently when we are conscious of it.
4. Finally we get to Stage 4, UNCONSIOUS COMPETENCE which comes after plenty of time and hard work. Here we perform the task competently without being conscious of it.

So remember during those long and sometimes tedious training sets, that it takes large pieces of time and devotion to replace instinct and bad habits with just one learned and correct skill. Patience my friend, is truly a virtue!

Schnitz!

What stage are you? Is it different depending on the terrain or conditions?

I am between 3 & 4 most of the time unless I am in big, steep, icy bumps, then I revert to 2. Or if I get into trees that are too tight and steep for my taste.
 

num

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm a stage 2 skier for now. I'm definitely aware of my noobieness, but have learned some things and am looking forward to maintaining those and learning more. I'd love to bump it up to the third stage this coming season through lessons and practice time. Never know how things'll go, but I can count on having fun along the way.
 

Pequenita

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm like Greeley. Because I'm not an uber expert skier, terrain does matter, so I choose terrain that allows me to be a 3. Sometimes I pick terrain that makes me a 2 because I'm trying to improve a particular skill, but on the same terrain, I occasionally hit 4. The times I've hit 4 and realize it, I quickly revert to 2 and spill!

I learned a while ago that the best way for me to learn something new was to let go of ego and accept that I knew nothing about the new thing, so I think I tend to start at level 2 for most things that I've been learning in the last 8 years. At this stage of "life," the things at which I'm likely unconsciously incompetent are the things for which I'm not aware that I'm "learning." This probably includes most interpersonal communication things in my case..... :smile:
 

SnowHot

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
What if I'm terminally caught in stage 3?:noidea:
 

abc

Banned
I've heard those phases somewhere else as well. It occured to me I'm at stage 4 of my overall "learning" process. :wink:
That is, I'm actually conciously competant at tailoring my learning vs. enjoyment process!

Basically, when I want to take it easy, I stay on things I know I can handle. But when I get bored with it being "easy", I purposely throw myself at stuff that are a bit outside my "comfort zone" so I'll learn how to handle a little more difficult stuff.

For skiing specifically, I mostly take it as an enjoyment, not a sport. So, like Pequenita, I spend most of my time at terrains that I'm at least 3. Though when the snow is crappy no matter where I go, then I went to the bumps or such, which is really my 2. So I can "try" to work on getting closer to stage 3 on it!

I know I'm only at stage 2 when it comes to chutes, deep fluffy snow, tight trees with moguls around them. But since I don't get much chance to hit those time/terrain where I "usually" ski, I'm not actively working on them. Though since I got tons of deep fluffy snow last season and failed miserably on some days, I made the plan to travel to places that has high chance of powder this coming season and see if I'll luck out on working up to stage 3 on pow. If I do get that lucky, then I can enjoy them more rather than having to waste the time bumbling about...

Biking, being my main "sport" is one activity I'm constantly pushing myself. So, I'm mostly going at things that I'm at stage 2. As a consequence, I have a very big "comfort zone" when I hop on the bike. And I still find it interesting to push it more...

Kayaking being a relatively new addition to my "activity list", I"m mostly at stage 2 & 3. That means I purposely seek out "challenging" conditions to turn my 2's into 3's.

Also like Pequenita, interpersonal skill is an area I'm also lacking. So I'm actually gingerly putting myself into unfamiliar environments to "learn". Since this is one area you can't just sign up for a "women's only clinic" for a week and hope to come out with an improved result, it has to be done trial and error. And I try NOT to pratice it on my existing friends & family circles! :wink:

In other parts of life, I do the same. But, I'm concious to the fact I'm NOT aware of anything I'm at stage 1. After all, once I realize it (and start working to improve it), it becomes stage 2!
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm between 3 and 4.

Last year, because new people joined our group each week I got bored in my lessons hearing the same things over and over. I thought I was already doing them. One day I realized that my skiing was not changing. When I skied with certain friends who zipped down the mtn I skied just like them, the same old way. I was getting very frustrated until I realized that I wasn't using the skills I was being taught. In order to change my skills I had to go backwards. Slow down my skiing speed, think through each element one by one and practice a lot.

I started experimenting with the new techniques, feeling the differences between the old and the new. My friends zipped down the mtn and then stood and watched me discover.

These friends resist lessons and change. They left just when my breakthrough started. I can't wait to ski with them this year and "blow their socks off".

In April I skied with 3 ski instructors from the midwest. They were very complimentary of my skiing. I was pleased because I was skiing up to their level.

My goal is to ski the whole mtn. no matter what the conditions in a comfortable and efficient manner.

I love the challenge of learning new skills and the confidence I've gained in my skiing.

BTW, I'm afraid of heights. I've struggled with steeper runs for years but I've found that my fears are going away because I'm in charge of the mountain instead of letting the mtn control me.

Kathi
 

Pequenita

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Also like Pequenita, interpersonal skill is an area I'm also lacking. So I'm actually gingerly putting myself into unfamiliar environments to "learn". Since this is one area you can't just sign up for a "women's only clinic" for a week and hope to come out with an improved result.....

A week-long women's clinic on this would be amusing, although the estrogen overload may kill me by day five. :becky:
 

Little Lightning

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I wonder where going through the motions fits into this? In my lessons some women would work with my instructor for a day, then move on to the next group. In a whole entire season they did not improve their skills. My instructor would observe these women and say "if she'd work with me for awhile I could help her improve". So even though their ego was saying they could ski the steeps and bowls they are really at a level 1.

Yeah! I wanted to ski the big stuff too but I realized I needed the skills before I could do it.

I have a friend who said she just skied and didn't really pay attention to what she was doing. That got me to thinking about why I wasn't skiing better after 6 weeks of lessons. When I stopped "skiing" and began focusing on what I was doing while skiing I made big improvements.

I started last season still recovering from ACL surgery, lacking confidence and fearful of off piste skiing. Had the season lasted a few more months I think I would have been skiing the bowls just as confidently as I do groomed. If I had not taken these lessons it would have taken me a lot longer to regain my faith in myself and my skiing.

Kathi
 

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