It is a phrase that implies that time is needed to become comfortable in a new situation. It means that with the completion of a process, you can be confident in something new.
The idiom “Find your feet” means doing something new that requires process and time to feel comfortable. We can use this phrase in writing anytime we encounter a person learning to do something new.
While we think of some people as gifted because they can take on something new without stress, most people need time to learn and adjust to new situations.
We look at this idiom, and it expresses the need for time and process to feel comfortable doing something new. Typically, there is a learning curve attached to any further activities.
It implies that we must use time and some type of skills or knowledge acquisition to do something for the first time.
Read on to discover the whole meaning of this idiom and how to use it.
What Does “Find Your Feet” Look Like?
The long-lived idiom in English of “find your feet” has been reinvented several times in its history. It is taking on a different context depending on the trends of time.
The phrase, in general, has always been used to state the time and process to feel comfortable doing something new. Whether starting a new job or entering a new relationship, there is always a period of adjustment or “finding your feet.”
Skill acquisition of any type requires instruction and time to put in place what we have learned. Stepping into a new situation can be stressful. One must keep in mind that all things need time.
Anyone can paint a picture, but the only way to make high-quality paintings is to spend time on them. The amount of time it takes depends on your learning style and how easily you have access to the material.
Anyone with time can learn to play a tune on the violin. But only with instruction from a maestro of the violin can we play with talent and beauty.
Understanding The Idiom “Find Your Feet” And Its Implications In Relationships With Others When Used
Idioms exist in all languages and have several reasons for their use.
English speakers and writers understand the attached meaning of an idiom. Even though the words making up the idiom may not make sense or be misleading, we know its importance.
Historically speaking, people started to use this idiom for the first time at the turn of the sixteenth century.
At that time, it was common for people to comment on toddlers when they first began walking, that they had “found their feet.”
People use the phrase to describe developmental milestones of this type. The expression would later evolve to include more skills and knowledge acquisition. Thus people used the term “find your feet” to say the addition of any new knowledge to a person’s skill set.
Use Of The Idiom In The Popular Culture
This idiom appears in some aspects of popular culture. Let’s see some examples:
- There’s an Australian retail store named “Find Your Feet.” They specialize in selling sportswear and tours for people who are into trail-running. Additionally, its founder Hanny Allston has worked on a podcast, three books, and a blog to connect with people interested in this practice. They have been offering tours and coaching in Tasmania, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Finding Your Feet is a British comedy released in 2017, starring Imelda Staunton as the film’s protagonist. Richard Loncraine directed this movie.
- In 1960, Carol Martin founded the organization Find Your Feet in response to the situation of Eastern European refugees after the Hungarian rebellion. Today the organization continues growing and fighting for social justice all across Asia and Africa.
“Finding Your Feet” In The Community
There is much to learn in life. From social interactions to earning a living, life is all about “finding your feet.”
We need to spend more time watching and listening to others and how they move through their interpersonal interactions. It helps us get the necessary skills to have our relationships with others.
Some of us are fortunate enough to have a parent or a brother sit with us and help us know what works and what doesn’t with others.
If you need help knowing what to put into a relationship and what to do to avoid problems, consider reading romance novels. Our jobs also demand us to learn and implement new skills over time.
We have all had the experience of starting a new job. By the end of the first day, feeling incompetent and out of place. In this case, we have yet to “find our feet.”
Research has shown that if we are going to learn the tasks required to perform a new job. We will get the majority of skills and knowledge in the first two weeks. Having said this, we also need to look at the way our superiors teach us.
Most of us learn new tasks by watching others perform them. In which case, we can see that most people are visual learners. Nowadays, most job training setups require visual learning. We are watching others perform the job, reading about what is to be done, or watching training videos.
It is essential to consider that not all people learn visually. There is a part of the population that understands by touch or their tactile sense. Here the person performs the task themselves to know what to do. Still, others are auditory learners who like to use their hearing to learn what to do.
Many of these people become educated professionals, learning from professors in lecture halls. If we can gear the learning process to the learning needs of the worker, the process of “finding your feet” can be expeditious.
As a result of the enhanced learning experience, training time has decreased significantly.
Most companies provide a training period on the job. Depending on the job’s complexity, “finding your feet” can take a couple of days up to two or three weeks before one can work independently.
Independently functioning on the job is only part of “finding your feet.” One must also feel a certain level of comfort on the job. Referred to as mastery, this level of proficiency is often achieved over the course of many years.
For example, highly skilled doctors spend many years gaining their confidence. Each illness has its own class, and they struggle to identify it. Taking the time to determine the appropriate treatment is also part of their day-to-day.
Example Sentences With The Idiom “Find Your Feet.”
- Frank is still new in his job; give him some time to find his feet.
- It was only after doing many small shows that he finally found his feet as a singer.
- We have this orientation program that helps new employees find their feet in the organization.
- After failing all over, he finally found his feet as an entrepreneur.
- He’s been here only a week, but he’s already found his feet.
Synonyms And Similar Phrases
Here are some synonyms and phrases that are similar to “find your feet” and can be used to indicate the same meaning:
- Grow up and find your feet
- Getting your bearings
- Adapting
- Adjusting
- Acquainting yourself with
- Familiarizing yourself with
- Finding your way
- Getting oriented
- Orienting oneself
- Settling in
- Acclimatizing (UK) acclimatizing (US)
- Fitting in
- Getting used to it
- Habituating
- Accustoming
- Conditioning
- Acculturating
- Assimilating
- Becoming accustomed to
- Becoming habituated to
- Rolling with punches
- Coming around
- Picking yourself up
More English Idioms
Conclusion
To “find our feet” is to find our way in life. Each facet of our existence requires that we learn what to do and do it, whether it’s relationship development of love and friendship or learning a new job or profession.
We must take the time necessary to enter a process that leaves us both able and confident to perform what we have learned. While this idiom has been around for centuries, people only used it to develop a wide range of life skills. Much like children taking their first steps in life, we take our first steps towards our goals as adults.
Like the toddler, we are a little unstable at first, needing a supportive hand to guide us and words of encouragement to keep us moving forward. But if the learning process is good and the time to learn is adequate, we can “find our feet” quickly and assume our new skills.
Learning what we need to know to move forward in life is always a challenge that never ends. Even significantly older people learn new things and adapt to their changing position and health. Once we find our feet, we move on to the next learning opportunity!
Shawn Manaher is the founder and CEO of The Content Authority. He’s one part content manager, one part writing ninja organizer, and two parts leader of top content creators. You don’t even want to know what he calls pancakes.