"The capacity to learn is a gift; The ability to learn is a skill; The willingness to learn is a choice."

Stage One of this learning model is Unconscious Incompetence, where you are clueless and overwhelmed and don't know why.

In this stage: You don't know what you don't know.

Start to diagnose and find what the problem is. Once you know and acknowledge the problem, you also know the skill you need to master to be able to handle the problem. 

You are at Stage Two: Conscious Incompetence. In this stage, you know what you don't know.

In Stage Three: Conscious Competence, you are aware of the problem and start to design and implement a strategy to tackle it. 

You are determined, willing to learn, and overcome any challenges to master the skill(s). This is when you know what you know.

Stage Four: Unconscious Competence, is when you are skillfully, naturally, and easily able to handle the problem, without any mental effort. The skill that you have learned are now imbibed in you.  In this stage, you don't know what you know.

This Learning Model can be used to break old habits and acquire new skills if implemented with focus and awareness.

Let's imagine this scenario: You've been feeling overwhelmed and stressed during the last few weekends and you don't know why. You are at stage # 1, Unconscious Incompetence (You don't know what you don't know).

After you skillfully say "No" about 50 times to 30 different people, you become a master of saying 'No'. It comes without mental effort on your part and it happens fast, naturally, easily, and graciously. You arrive at stage # 4, Unconscious Competence! (You don't know what you know). What a great place to be in!