Overcoming the “I don’t know hows”

When I launched this website (first as kellyazevedo.com), way back in 2011, I’ll never forget how anxious I was about learning WordPress. I didn’t know code, was worried about uploading and then losing all my content and, frankly, I didn’t want to look like an idiot figuring it all out.

So as I complained and worried to my friend Patrick, his repeated assurances that I could “figure it out” were of no help whatsoever. Finally, I just asked, “if it’s so easy, can you show me how?”

And in the days before zoom and virtual classrooms and 783,000 YouTube videos on every imaginable thing, we got on Skype and Patrick showed me how to blog on WordPress.

It was, embarrassingly for me, super simple to do.

But I can see a world in which I let “I don’t know how” stop me from making progress and hitting publish on that first post.

It really annoys me when someone says to learn something you just need to “fix your mindset.”

It’s not in your head.

There are things that you legit do not know how to do. Yet.

So how do you get over that roadblock and keep going?

Option 1: Hire someone to do it for you

There are things I never want to learn on my own. Site development. API programming. Plumbing. How to pour concrete.

If what you don’t know is something you don’t actually need to know to become successful then hiring a professional is the quickest method, even if it’s expensive. What you’re trading for those dollars and cents is your time, energy, effort and all the frustrations that go into learning something and struggling.

Personally, I do a little research to find out if I can DIY first before hiring but then, if it’s needed, happily pay someone else to work in their zone of genius so I can return to mine.

Option 2: Hire someone to teach you

While it’s not the most expensive option on this list, it’s certainly in the “teach a man to fish” camp. Learning how to do something on your own is empowering and can set you up for success long-term. It’s usually more expensive if you’re attempting to master a brand new skill such as web design, versus a simpler skill like adding blog posts.

Of course, there are lots of free options for learning new skills such as trainings, YouTube videos, books, resource guides and learning by example. Whether or not you pay to learn something new is up to you.

Option 3: Trial and error

There’s nothing wrong with experimenting in business and sometimes the best way to move from “I don’t know” into knowledge is to simply try. Maybe you’ll try to upload a YouTube video and it fails but in the process you are learning more about the process. In some cases trying requires an investment – you can test Facebook ads but you’ll need to set a budget.

Trial and error works best when you have some previous experience or related skills with a job that is not time or image sensitive.

Option 4: Give up

I mean, this is always an option but there is the choice to decide, here and now, that you’re never going to figure this thing out and there are so many things you don’t know that it’ll never work out anyway.

Of course, giving up won’t get you any closer to your goals but it’s a choice you can make.

(FYI: complaining about something endlessly without taking action is, by default, option 4.)