When we first start a new job, the learning curve can feel overwhelming, every task seems complicated, every process unfamiliar and every mistake weighs heavily. We spend time reading instructions, asking questions, and second-guessing our decisions and at this early stage a new job, we’re acutely aware of the effort it takes to perform even simple responsibilities. Yet, over time, a subtle change takes place as the once difficult becomes second nature through practice, repetition and experience. We master the job and strangely, that mastery often leads us to undervalue what we’ve achieved.
This phenomenon has a simple explanation: once a task feels easy, we assume it is easy and forget the steep climb it took to reach a level of complete competence. We start thinking our work is less valuable because it doesn’t require as much conscious effort anymore. Psychologists sometimes refer to this as the “curse of knowledge” — once we know how to do something well, it’s hard to remember what it was like not knowing, which is why we tend to downplay the real skill, expertise, and resilience that got us to this point.
Take, for example, someone who has become proficient in a technical software program. At first, they struggled to navigate the menus, troubleshoot errors, or remember shortcuts but after months or years of use, they now move quickly, solve problems without hesitation and streamline tasks that they once struggled to master. Once the work feels natural, they may forget that to someone less experienced, their skill is impressive and valuable. What feels like an “easy” task to them might actually represent years of accumulated knowledge.
The same applies across professions. A teacher who can manage a classroom of 30 students without chaos has built that ability through trial, error, and experience; a project manager who can anticipate bottlenecks and resolve issues before they escalate has honed that skill through countless projects; a nurse who calmly juggles patients, paperwork, and emergencies does so because of training, practice, and resilience. None of these things are “easy”, but they feel that way to the expert because the effort has been internalised.
Undervaluing our skills is not just a personal problem; it can impact careers and opportunities. When we think our work is easy, we may underprice ourselves in negotiations, hesitate to apply for higher-level roles, or fail to communicate our achievements effectively. Employers and clients don’t just pay for the minutes it takes to complete a task, they pay for the years it took to learn how to do it quickly and well, which is why recognising this is essential to understanding our true worth.
So how do we overcome this blind spot? One way is to reflect on our progress and think back to your first day on the job. Ask yourself what felt overwhelming then that feels effortless now or to talk to beginners in your field; their struggles will remind you of how far you’ve come. Finally, keep in mind that expertise is not the absence of effort, but the result of accumulated effort over time.
What seems easy to you today is evidence of mastery, not simplicity. The skills you’ve gained are valuable precisely because they now feel natural so the challenge is not just learning the job — it’s remembering the journey that made you the expert you are.