jumbojax

Your calculus analogy has me thinking that I may just haven't encountered some pain points where being able to apply certain things that will improve my quality of work. Especially in regards of being a better communicator to be more effective team member, and employee. I also tend to work in silo'd situations.

I mean, I always encounter problems at work, just not the right ones to get me to where I want to be today.

And where I'm in a situation where I'm free to do side projects, it doesn't feel better. I can't effectively come up with new problem scenarios unless they resemble something I encountered in the past.

You're correct that I'm in a comfort zone. I can read about why these tools are useful. At the same time, these are tools that solve problems I don't have. How can one practice them like that? My mind is blocked here, I'm unable to come up with situations even "for learning purposes", for side projects, scenarios that would let me understand them better.

I have difficulty coming up with new problem scenarios in my head, unless they resemble something I already encountered in the past. I will have to overcome this, if I were to become a better engineer.

Without having a problem scenario, there's no work to be done. So there's only the job hunt right now.

I can read an article explaining how a tool is used.

There are many tools that solve technical and organizational problems I don't have. There is no "work" to be done if I don't have those problems. You're correct that I'm in a comfort zone. When there is no problem, I cannot find agency. The most effective learning I've had is learning on the job, or from being able to draw parallels to past job experiences. Without either of these things my mind is blocked and I feel unable to take action.

I'm unable to create problem scenarios for something that I haven't used before. My perspective doesn't go past- encounter problem first and then see if I should try something else that would work within my constraints.

I wish that mind block could go away.