Plateau of Latent Potential

Progress often does not appear until you break the learning barrier.

The barrier that you often experience at the beginning of learning a new skill (also known as the plateau of latent potential) is analogous to what happens when ice melts. Ice only melts once it warms past its freezing point. However, the potential that was built up through the temperature changes that led up to the freezing point was required for the ice to finally melt. Only a single degree change, which was no different than the temperature increases before, led to a significant change.

From Atomic Habits by James Clear

Learning is not linear. Breaking through the learning barrier is often the result of putting in the requisite effort, and building up the required potential to break through to the middle of the learning curve. There is often a period of frustration that is required before you break through. The results are delayed as the habits that you build that are required to learn a skill begin to compound.

References

Atomic Habits by James Clear