Too often, people embrace being a beginner, but stop there. The beginner phase is easy, comfortable, and safe. You can be bad at stuff, but it’s ok! You’re just starting out. You can tout how fast you’re picking it up, and everybody can be impressed at your new skills.

Progressing beyond that, however, is hard. The path to the top is winding and treacherous, and most people want to skip it and get to the part where they’re just good at it. At this point, they drop what they’re doing and go become a “fast learner” at some other skill, never going deep enough into one area to thrive. No blue ribbons, but plenty of participation awards.