A recent article in the WSJ provided a new perspective on the difficulty experienced learning by exposing some fascinating details on a most universal challenge; learning how to walk.
- The average toddler (12 to 19 months old) takes 2,400 steps per hour. This is the equivalent of traveling 8 football fields.
- The novice walker will fall approximately 30 times each hour.
- In total a toddler takes 14,000 steps each day.
This failure rate would likely be catastrophic for the average adult beginner, but toddlers are relentless learning machines. “Infants spend roughly a third of their day for six solid months practicing walking (and don’t truly perfect it until several years later).” Per the article, a toddler will take 2.6 million steps before the become proficient.
If you want to learn something new, get comfortable with failure and press on.