"Learning the hard way" is a trash phrase.

"Learning the hard way" is a trash phrase.
It implies there was an easy way.
Usually, there wasn't.

When I think about my strongest skills and most valuable knowledge, none of it came easily. It was earned through mistakes, repetition, frustration, and persistence.

The hard way wasn't a detour.
It was the way.

Keep learning. If it's worth doing, it will likely be hard.
Do it anyway.