Personal and professional development gurus LOVE to use the analogy of toddlers learning to walk.

And I love it. I take inspiration from it. But I also have a unique perspective because I HAD TO LEARN TO WALK AS A GROWN-UP.

Learning to walk as a grown-up is not the same as learning to walk as a toddler.

The stakes are much higher.

When you fall, you will fall further. Falling further might result in injury. In my case, the synapses between my brain and the muscles weren't firing the way they used to. Instinctual necessity was overridden by more of a linear, step-by-step model of learning.

So today I am flipping the "learn to walk" analogy on its head and sharing three important lessons for acquiring a new skill in adulthood.