February 2022
Dear Reader,
I’m an average person. I’m not particularly skilled at anything, nor am I artistic, athletic, or any kind of genius. What’s worse, I don’t have any real passions or hobbies to pour myself into. I grew up, graduated, got married, and have a baby on the way, but I haven’t developed much as a person. How have I gotten through twenty-one years of life without having a single skill or passion?
There are a few factors.
- Fear. Everyone’s heard of the comfort zone. Mine isn’t large. Most of my days are spent going through my routine at home, and I enjoy that, but doing the same things over and over isn’t challenging or transformational. It’s tough to try something new because it can be frustrating and I know that I am going to be bad at it and make mistakes. Not only that, messing up in front of other people is embarrassing!
- Procrastination. When you let the fear of failing and being embarrassed get to you, it can lead to procrastination which is something I am intimately familiar with. If you don’t want to look or feel dumb trying something out, just don’t do it at all! The only problem with that is it’s a surefire way to never learn any new skills or gain the confidence that comes from overcoming obstacles. Also, doing nothing and staying in the same place is boring!
- Laziness. The easiest way to procrastinate is to let yourself off the hook and do nothing productive. This is where a handy distraction like a smartphone comes in, and as much as I hate to admit it, I waste a lot of time using just that. If you spend two hours a day on your phone or in front of the TV, that is about 60 hours a month sitting mindlessly in front of a screen. 60 HOURS! A long workweek! You will never get that time back, and you won’t gain much from it besides whatever enjoyment and relaxation it gives you. Sitting on my phone never feels like a fulfilling experience, though, and I usually feel crabby and junky afterwards. I could cry when I think about how much of my life I wasted on something I don’t even like just because it’s easy.
When I think about the kind of person I want to be in 10 years, 20 years, even 40 years, I picture a vibrant woman; someone with passion for life and a vast expanse of knowledge and experience. This is what I mean by the phrase “well-rounded”. Here is merriam-webster.com’s definition:
well-rounded
having many different skills, abilities, or areas of knowledge
The only way to make a change is to get off the couch and do something different. This blog will help me with that by being the kick in the rear I need to get started as well as serving as a tool to document my progress. I hope that seeing someone put themself out there to make mistakes and gain experience will encourage YOU to get up and try something new.
– Madelyn
