Status Quo – Day 25

30-Day Writing Challenge

Accepting the status quo comes naturally for some, but is extremely uncomfortable for others. This acceptance is context-specific, so in certain situations, I happily accept the status quo, but in others, I refuse to acknowledge it. 

This discomfort with accepting the status quo is something we all have, but the intensity varies by person and situation. On one side of the “status quo spectrum,” there’s acceptance and on the other side, there’s extreme discomfort. 

One area that’s making me uncomfortable at the moment is learning rates for a specific topic… I’m preparing for a certification exam in cybersecurity and many people I’ve come across online mention study timelines of 4 – 6 months before taking the exam. I understand this is an average and the timeline will be different based on your situation and baseline knowledge level, but I can’t accept this “status quo” assumption. 

When learning a complex topic most people assume it takes months, years, or even decades to “truly” understand something, but this is where I disagree. Every topic can be broken down into easily understandable chunks, which reduces the amount of time it takes to learn a complex topic dramatically. 

I plan on reducing the above 4 to 6-month timeframe to around 2 – 3 weeks. The key is to not accept the status quo and completely immerse yourself in the topic, living and breathing only this content. 

By avoiding what the “status quo” says is possible, we’re able to get a lot more done, accelerating our ability to learn. This discomfort and an alternative approach are not easy and take a ridiculous amount of work, but it’s definitely worth the effort.