Mar 24

Stick With It: Week 4- The Sound of Silence

What is the 'Stick with It' Challenge all about? 

Our Director Natalie Savery, has taken on a challenge which will help us to explore what we know about learning, leadership and all things related. 

She's chosen a song to learn from scratch, and from now until the end of March, she’ll be documenting her progress each week and reflecting on what helps us learn and grow. 

If you want to know more about the challenge, check out Natalie's Linked In post here 

View the video for week four opposite! 
Write your awesome label here.
This week, I didn’t practice. Not once.

It wasn’t the busiest week I’ve ever had—I’ve definitely made time for drumming before under more pressure—but I just didn’t manage it. Part of it was time and energy, yes, but the deeper truth is this: I wasn’t motivated, because I feel like I am just not getting it.

That feeling of being stuck—the one that started to creep in last week—made me avoid picking up the sticks altogether. And at first, that made me feel stressed. I worried I was falling behind, letting myself down, or undoing the slow progress I’d made. But after a few days of not practising, that stress faded into something else: resignation.

I told myself, “It’s fine. You’ll pick it up next week.” I rationalised it. I ignored it. But by the end of the week, I was feeling something different again: regret. I found myself wishing I’d just played a little—even five minutes. Just enough to stay connected.

And that’s the lesson this week: this, too, is part of learning.

When You Don’t Feel Like Learning

In learning and development—especially in the workplace—we often assume that if someone really wants to learn, they’ll just find a way. But I’m reminded this week that motivation is fragile, and that progress doesn’t always feel good.

I LOVE learning - it's part of my DNA. But even I don't feel like it all of the time

When people don’t follow through on a course, a coaching plan, or a commitment to self-development, it’s easy to assume they lack discipline or interest. But more often, they feel despondent, like I did. They don’t see signs of progress, so they step away. Not because they don’t care—but because they do.

I worried this week that not practising would mean going backwards. And maybe it will—but the greater danger is losing momentum altogether.

You’re So Vain (You Probably Think This Blog Is About You)

I've come to realise that part of my hesitance this week has been what I thought would be the biggest bonus of this whole challenge - learning out in the open. 

Doing this challenge publicly is both a gift and a curse.

On one hand, part of my despondence this week has come from embarrassment—the vulnerability of sharing slow progress, or worse, no progress, is uncomfortable. I find myself wondering what people must think of me. I feel like I sound like a two-year-old banging the drums with no skill or flair, and I catch myself thinking, “I’m 43 for goodness’ sake—what am I doing?”

But on the other hand, this challenge is forcing me to engage with my learning in a way I never have before. I’m paying attention to how I’m learning, what helps and hinders motivation, where I get stuck, and how to get myself going again. I’m more reflective, more intentional, and more accountable than I’ve ever been when learning something just for myself.

There’s also something to be said for the benefits of public learning—the pressure of showing up each week keeps me connected to the process, even when I want to walk away. It’s building resilience, humility, and empathy. And perhaps most importantly, it’s helping me remember what it actually feels like to be a learner—a feeling that’s easy to forget when your job is helping others learn. There’s real value in that perspective, especially when designing learning experiences that meet people where they are, not where we wish they were.

If You’re Stuck Too…

I’m not going to pretend this was a good week for my drumming. It wasn’t. But I’m sharing it anyway because this is what learning actually looks like. It’s not linear. It’s emotional. It’s messy.

Next week, I’m not going to try to make up for lost time with a big push. Instead, I’m going to focus on reconnecting with the drum kit.

  • I’ll aim to practice for just 5–10 minutes a day, even if I don’t feel like it.
  • I’ll listen to the song again and remind myself why I chose it.
  • And I’ll try to do one small thing that feels good, not perfect.

If you’re learning something and you’ve hit a wall, I hope this reminds you that you’re not alone. Sometimes we need to rest. Sometimes we need to be honest about the dip. What matters is how we come back—not how perfectly we stay on track.