Once I had to learn how to take care of 40 horses.
I was scared of them but they were going to be my responsibility and I had to learn how to catch them.
I gave myself an hour each afternoon to go into the pasture with my catching rope; following the horses around, but mostly running away from them. After about a week I let a horse come near, I put the rope over his neck and walked him over to the barn.
This "stay there for an hour" method has also worked well for me when learning Digital Performer and other scary programs.
It sets the tone: I'm going to stick it out and let this wildly unknown world seep in.
What have you found that helps you learn something new?
I once unexpectedly found myself in a field of horses and didn't know how to communicate. One alpha male chased me around a tree for five minutes, the only tree in an otherwise expansive field, round and round while the others just watched. Eventually, we we both tired and stopped. I still had no idea how I happened upon them, what to do next or how to escape, which was most evident to the horse. So we stared down at each other, more curious than fearful, both motionless, fully alert. His eyes were deep, penetrating, watchful questioning eyes, no eye blinks. He seemed to be waiting for me to explain myself, tell him why I was there, my purpose. Finally, his energy shifted, he stepped away, which I took as a signal to do the same, ending the standoff, until enough distance opened up that he seemed to lose interest, incidentally granting my wish to return to a horseless world.