the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Everything looks easy at first… until it doesn’t. We all love the beginning of learning something new: Progress feels fast, confidence is high, and you convince yourself you might secretly be a natural.

Enter the Dunning–Kruger Effect: A curve where your confidence shoots up before your competence does. That’s when the dip hits. You suddenly notice everything you’re bad at. Progress slows. You feel exposed. This is where most people quietly bow out, not because they’re incapable, but because that drop in confidence hurts.

This year I decided to get into trail running.
It looked simple enough: Trail shoes, trees, maybe a podcast. Two weeks later my ankles were wobbling, my lungs were on fire and I realized I had wildly overestimated myself. But instead of quitting, I kept going through the dip — and week by week things started clicking; technique, pacing, terrain, mindset. All the stuff you only learn after a bit of humbling.

That’s the gift of staying in the dip: Eventually, your ability catches up with your confidence — but this time, it’s real.

This Week’s Prompt:

Where in your life are you currently in the dip, and what would sticking it out for just a few more weeks look like?

Keep going. Few people do.

See you next Sunday,
Arteri