How to overcome a learning plateau as an independent professional?

Offering the same set of services for a long time can often feel great. You’ve found your niche, you’re in the zone! But if you’re not careful, you can soon find yourself stuck in a rut. Work that was once challenging and motivational becomes drab and monotonous. I can churn out these reports in my sleep, you think, and feelings of boredom and dissatisfaction begin creeping in. When this happens, it might mean you’ve hit a learning plateau. 

Learning plateaus are normal part of the ebbs and flows of business, equally affecting freelancers and full-time employees alike. No one is immune to this phase, but because independent professionals don’t have built-in external reviews and promotions to work toward, they can easily forget to factor in necessary changes for progress. The reality is, continuous learning is crucial to overcome the plateau and to maintain enthusiasm and satisfaction in your career.

Section 1: Identifying a learning plateau

So you’re unhappy in your day-to-day work, but you’re not sure why. Maybe the work is a bad fit and you need to pivot…or maybe you’ve just hit a learning plateau. Take some time to do a brief inventory of your work and your feelings over the past year. Here are a few questions to help you identify the root cause of your negative outlook:

• Have all your recent projects required more or less the same skill level?
• Have you felt a decrease in motivation or enthusiasm?
• Have you been making the same types of mistakes again and again in your work?
• Has business growth been little to none?

If you’ve answered yes to most of these questions, you may have hit a learning plateau. Get ready, then, to boost your skills and reignite your passion for work. 

Start by evaluating your current skill level, and brainstorm what it might look like if you were to start performing a couple levels above that. If you’re finding it difficult to make an honest assessment, reach out to a career counselor, mentor, or fellow independent professional familiar with your services and sector. Consider hiring a coach or reaching out to someone in the same field but a couple of steps ahead in their business. Chances are they’ve had a similar experience and can provide guidance and direction. To further expand your community of independent professionals, apply to join ConnectX, Outsized’s exclusive networking program designed to help you connect with and learn from others in your industry.

Section 2: Causes of learning plateaus

How did you get stuck in this plateau in the first place? There could be a few reasons.

First, you might have gotten a little too comfortable. Growth only occurs through discomfort, and we have to intentionally seek out difficult situations to reach next-level opportunities. The work doesn’t naturally evolve to become more challenging just because time is passing. 

It could also be that you’re stuck in a monotonous routine with repetitive tasks. Do you feel like your work lacks creativity, and you’re mostly just checking boxes? If so, it doesn’t make sense to expect inspiring projects if there’s no learning and challenge required in what you’re doing. 

Limiting beliefs may also play a role here. Specifically, the fear of failure. The fear of failure can hold back even the greatest talents with the highest potential and keep you and your work hidden in the shadows. It’s important to take big, scary leaps (or even small, scary steps!) from time to time, and surprise ourselves with the opportunities that await us on the other side of fear.

One other possible reason for this learning plateau is simply that you haven’t had any constructive criticism on your work. Ask yourself, when was the last time you received feedback? In independent careers, constructive feedback is not often a built-in part of the job as it is in full-time employment. Actively seek out feedback that will help you better assess your current level, envision what opportunities and performance look like at the levels above, and start planning how to get there. 

Section 3: Strategies to overcome a learning plateau

Now that you’ve identified what you need, it’s time to break out of the rut. 

Start with goal-setting. The goals could be new routines, new work opportunities, or new skills that you can quickly put into practice. Make sure that your goals are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. SMART goals are used across industries to deliver optimal results. 

Brainstorm potential opportunities that feel scary and challenging for you. Remember that what got you here won’t get you there, so try to set aside any limiting beliefs. Don’t use the framework for what your work looks like now to envision its future potential. 

Double down on learning and enhancing your skill set. Search for online courses and workshops relevant to your service or industry and read books and research that can help you broaden your knowledge of what’s possible for your career. And don’t fret about going at it alone. There are plenty of mentorship and networking opportunities to connect you with inspiring people who can guide you along the way. Look into investing in a coach, or maybe creating a mastermind group that can hold you accountable to your goals.

Request constructive feedback from your peers and identify and communicate a good system for reporting on feedback regularly. Develop some questions that will help you better assess your career and find a good cycle of time where you can sit down and reflect on these. 

Lastly, experiment and innovate. You’re not going to come up with all the answers at once, so lean into action and check in with yourself on how things are going. Maybe you don’t like learning new skills in a group setting but find yourself advancing leaps and bounds in your business when you work 1:1 with a coach. Maybe you don’t want to learn new skills, but you’re excited to delve deeper into the ones you already have. 

Learn how you can master your specialisation and laser focus your freelance offering for success.

Section 4: Maintaining momentum

If you build and maintain a plan that factors in momentum, you can identify and overcome the next learning plateau quickly. Create a structured learning plan with a template that you can use again and again. Write down exactly what you’d like to learn, by when, and how to get there. Feel free to use days, weeks, or months to track the goals on the way to the big milestone, though the more specific and smaller increments, the better. 

Each time you reach a milestone, celebrate your success! There’s always going to be further to go, and it’s important to recognise how far you’ve come. Celebrate even the smallest victories. To pump yourself up, turn to inspirational media and events such as TED talks, podcasts, or speaking events in your local area.

Change is possible

When you’re stuck in a rut, it can be hard to see the opportunities that lie ahead. But that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. To overcome the learning plateau start implementing these strategies today, and get excited about the passion, enthusiasm, and growth that’s waiting for you.