16/01/2026
You know that thing we do when we have symptoms of an illness or faced with a 'situation' and immediately run to Google or an AI bot for a diagnosis? Well, I finally found the name for what I’m going through today. 😂😂
It's called "desirable difficulty" and the "fluency illusion" (the definitions are at the end of this post)
Yesterday, I decided to level up my research skills. I thought, 'I’ll just learn how to form research questions, how hard can it be?' Well... it was hard. I sat there, staring at this diagram, and I felt completely stuck. And then, I thought 'If you were meant to be great at this, wouldn't it come naturally? Why is this so hard?
I did a little digging to understand this. I'm happy to say... it is normal. Well....sometimes
I realized something vital:
Muscles don't grow when the weight is light.
Character doesn't grow when life is easy.
Brains don't grow when the concepts are simple.
If you are confused today, congratulations. It means you’re pushing your boundaries. The breakthrough is always on the other side of the frustration. I’m choosing to create positive energy around this struggle because, honestly, what good does being frustrated do?
The Definitions (For my fellow learners): 📖 The Fluency Illusion: Thinking you "get it" just because a diagram looks easy, only to realize you can’t apply it. 📖 Desirable Difficulty: The fact that if learning feels easy, you’re probably not actually learning. Your brain only builds new pathways when it’s truly challenged.
I’m choosing the challenge. Are you struggling with a "heavy" concept today? Don't quit. Your brain is just growing its muscles.
I’m rooting for us!🤍