The Sowers model stages of growth

You may have heard the saying, “learning is like the growth of plants: it takes time, effort, and patience.” Well, that saying is especially true when learning new things.

In today’s world, there’s a lot of pressure to be good at everything. We’re constantly told that we need to succeed in our careers, relationships, and personal lives. And if we’re not good at something, we’re made to feel like failures.

But learning is a process — it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, effort, and patience to learn and succeed. So don’t be discouraged if you don’t know everything right away. Instead, keep practicing and learning, and you’ll get there in no time.

Introduction: Learning Is Like the Growth of Plants

When it comes to learning, you must think of yourself as a delicate little plant. Just like plants need time, water, and sunlight to grow and thrive, you need time, effort, and patience to learn and grow.

You can’t just expect to plop yourself in front of a textbook for a few hours and emerge as a genius. It doesn’t work that way. Instead, learning takes time, dedication, and hard work. But if you put in the effort, you will eventually see results.

So remember, don’t be discouraged if you don’t learn everything overnight. Learning is like the growth of plants — it takes time, effort, and patience.

The Process of Learning Is Similar to the Growth of Plants

Learning something new can feel like you’re stuck in the dark, wondering when the light will come on. It’s a process that takes time, effort, and patience. But, just like plants need water, light, and soil to grow, you need the same things to learn and grow.

To learn something, you need to be exposed to it repeatedly. You also need to give it time and effort — and don’t forget your patience! Sound like too much work? It is, but it’s worth it in the end. When you finally see that light turn on.

Application

Let’s look at the image again and use the analogy of driving. When you are challenged to learn something new, you will be at the first pillar, where you are unconsciously unskilled. The first pillar means that you are not skilled in driving and cannot perform the skill unconsciously. For example, you attend driving lessons for a few days.

You will now gain insight into what driving is all about and the skills needed to be a safe and sound driver. You now move to the second pillar. You are now consciously skilled. You know the skills required. However, you need to be very conscious or aware of every move you make in driving. The skills have not been burned to muscle memory at this stage.

At this point, you have a choice. You can practice the driving skill you learned or choose public transportation. You now have an option to either master what you learned or disregard it. With practice, the level of your skill improves. You are now consciously skilled.

You now have a choice. You can continue practicing the skill to achieve mastery or stay where you are. If you continue to practice the skill and reach an expert’s proficiency, you now move to the last pillar. You are now unconsciously skilled. Your skill is so high from practice that it becomes second nature to you. You no longer need to be conscious about using what you learned.

Your facilitators, like myself, are responsible for getting you to the first two pillars. It is your responsibility to reach the last two pillars. Your teachers and facilitators can teach you all the best practices in the world. However, it is purely your responsibility to use it consistently. It is you who will primarily benefit from the skill. The other beneficiary of the benefits is your team members, your department, and your management. However, that’s on you.

Summary Learning is like the growth of plants. Learning something new, like plants, takes time, effort, and patience. But unlike plants, you can’t just sit there and wait for learning to happen — you must actively seek it out. We must continuously practice what we learn.