Prasatt

Do something you suck at

I go for weekly badminton classes, so obviously my skill level would be high.

Um...despite having played for quite a while, I'm still a beginner.

I miss a lot, my form often goes haywire, and I often have spells of no apparent progress.

(Although in the rare moments where I'm in flow, it feels amazing. But those times are rare.)

So why put myself through this? There are many reasons, but one reason worth talking about is this: it's always good to adopt a student's mindset.

As I get older, I often have to catch myself thinking "I know everything". I know that if I allow myself to adopt the "expert's mindset" then my learning stops dead in its tracks. A level of humility, intellectual or otherwise, is important for me to keep growing as a human being.

Badminton helps me do that — with each shuttle I miss, hit into the net, or hit out of bounds, I'm reminded that I'm fallible and have much to learn.

Maybe it's not badminton for you.

Maybe it's painting, and your artistic ability is worse than a toddler's.

Or maybe it's woodworking, where your figures come out looking demonic.

Perhaps it could also be writing novels, despite ChatGPT writing better than you.

There's worth in doing something that you feel less-than-proficient in. There'll be a lesson in there somewhere for you.