Learning is hard. I know that in the general sense we spend our lives learning, but taking the time and having the inclination to master a new skill is no easy task. On the surface this may seem like an trivial thing. I mean, how hard can learning ‘X’ really be? But as we all know, this is never really the case.

The thing is, we do learn. Little by little we build on our understanding of something and are able to grasp more and more as we go. This doesn’t happen over night of course, and it’s not until you are well into your understanding of a subject that you realize how far you’ve actually come.

I was reminded of this recently after reading this post. It really made me stop and look at where I was, and what I’ve actually achieved in the 6 years since I started programming. In many ways I still see myself as a beginner, but really, I know much more than I give myself credit for. I’ve just had my face so close to the screen that I’ve missed seeing the milestones as they pass.

There is always more to learn, and we can always be better at what we do, just remember that we need to stop and look around along the way. This climb may go on forever, but we all started somewhere, and I’m sure it’s a lot further behind you than you realize.