I Kept Starting Courses but Never Actually Learned Anything

“I have a bad habit of starting things and not finishing them.

Online courses are probably the best example. I have started courses about photography, design, and even learning a new language. I get excited in the beginning, make plans, sometimes buy things I need, and then after a week or two I stop.

The strange thing is I really do want to learn these things. But I always feel like I am not learning fast enough.

This time I decided to spend just 20 minutes every day learning one skill. I chose photography because I have always wanted to take better pictures, not just the usual photos I take on my phone.

The first few days were easy. I watched tutorials, learned about lighting and composition, and felt like I was making progress.

Then I started getting frustrated.

I would watch someone explain something in five minutes and expect myself to understand it immediately. When my own pictures didn't look anything like theirs, I started thinking maybe photography is not for me.

I also wasted quite a lot of time searching for the best tutorials instead of actually practising. Somehow researching how to learn became easier than learning itself.

Around day 9, I had a very busy day and almost skipped my practice. I told myself I would do it tomorrow. But I remembered that the whole point was to show up every day, not to have a perfect session.

So I took a few photos of ordinary things in my home. A cup, a plant near the window, and some light falling on the table. Nothing special, but I did my 20 minutes.

That day made me realize how much I was overcomplicating everything.

By the end of 21 days, I was still a beginner. I still make mistakes and sometimes get annoyed when a picture doesn't turn out the way I imagined.

But I completed the challenge, and I actually have photos that I like now. More importantly, I spent more time practising instead of endlessly planning.

I used to think I needed the perfect course, the perfect schedule, and the right motivation before I could make progress.

Maybe I just needed to stop expecting myself to be good at something immediately.

I want to continue learning photography. This time, I am not going to set a big target or make a complicated plan. I will just keep practising and see where it takes me.”