One of the challenges of learning to fly is dealing with self-doubt. You get the feeling that maybe you weren't meant to do this, or your just not smart enough or maybe it's just too hard for you. There are many other self-doubt thoughts that will creep into your mind as your training progresses.
I am getting towards the end of my IFR training and there have been many discouraging moments when I've asked myself - "Am I just too stupid to do this?". Now that I'm near the end, I realize I can, but those kind of thoughts also plagued me during my private training. I'm pretty sure the majority of pilots go through this.
Self-doubts are natural and will slowly subside with time. Your confidence will grow and as a result your flying will improve dramatically. However, unless you are one of the chosen few, you will never land your plane perfectly every time. You may get a few nice ones in a row and the next one will suck.
From a practical perspective, after a lesson I write down what I did wrong and what I should have done. Just a few brief notes that I save on my 'puter. This accomplishes two things for me. First it keeps a record that I can refer back on to reinforce the learning process.
The other thing it does is let me put my self doubts behind me. I've written down the problem, now I can stop thinking about it. I can stop questioning myself about it. Writing it down means I won't forget about it - and it also means I don't need to think about it anymore. It helps me move on towards more positive and fun thoughts about flying.
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| Shelter Cove, CA |
Write down the challenges or mistakes you had on your last flight - and move on to more fun thoughts about flying. Flying is just about the most fun and coolest thing you can do on the planet! Enjoy the learning experience and stay positive. You CAN do this.
Gary
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