The Good Fails

There I was, at the top of this new trail, at a new park, with my new skateboard. I had my helmet, along with knee and elbow pads. I forgot my left wrist brace that day, but felt I did not need it considering my previous week of successful practice sessions. I was only a few weeks into skating, but felt I had made significant progress. What could go wrong? I felt confident and excited. Did I consider the incline, the length of trail that would allow me to pick up significant speeds, or the fact that I had not practiced foot braking enough? Nope. I jumped right in, and before I knew what happened, I was on the ground. Turns out, it was hard to be scared of something I did not fully understand.

But then, I got up. I checked myself out, and nothing was broken. Only my elbow and ego were bruised. My boyfriend finally made it to the bottom of the hill, and did not even realize I fell. No one around was staring. It was all okay. I realized too, I learned a lot about my fall. I learned I needed to practice foot braking. And better steering at higher speeds to carve, which would help me lose speed if I needed. I surprisingly felt inspired, and I had new goals. I did not want to fall and fail twice, so I had to find a way to get it right the next time.

Needless to say, I hit the ground, hard. I could see the finish line, and thought I would love to make it out of this upright. But, about half way down, I started to realize my mistakes. I started to realize how fast I was going, and feeling some speed wobbles. I noticed my boyfriend hopped off the board at the top before picking up too much speed. I decided I had to stop before reaching the approaching crosswalk, since anything would be better than hitting a pedestrian, or a car. So I did the only thing I knew, jumped off the skateboard. But unfortunately, at that speed, I could not run as fast as my momentum and was flung like a ragdoll. 

So while this short story time is a funny tale, it’s representative of the typical experience of starting a new hobby, growing pains of a new business and tribulations of learning something new. You decide you want to learn something new, maybe after being inspired by a YouTube video, a friend hyping up their hobby, or a longtime interest. Any reference point for your new skill is someone at their peak, or someone with a lot more experience. When watching YouTube videos, a professional or even your friend, you are not watching their failures and struggles, you are watching the highlight reel of their best work. You are also watching possibly years of practice that has culminated in extensive knowledge. When you attempt this new skill, you can be surprised at how much harder it is than the video or your friend made it look. 

It’s an interesting and possibly frustrating situation, that I think can mostly be attributed to our fear of failure. Even though it is more than likely you will succeed, the chance you will not be perfect at something keeps you from trying, or quitting after one setback. It’s definitely understandable, in a world of perfectly instagrammable snapshots. But really, everyone started somewhere. Instead of comparing yourself, or beating yourself up for mistakes, it’s better to just enjoy the process and let yourself experience new things. Eventually, you too will be posting the best snap shots of your new skill on Instagram, as you should. We should all celebrate and lift each other up when we successfully master a new skill. Encourage anyone at any age taking a risk and trying something new, without judgement.

The other factor that I think holds us back is our fear of judgement. I suppose this goes hand in hand with fear of failure, but we are all scared of what others will say. Or think. But usually, everyone is more absorbed in themselves, than you! People will not only judge you less than you think, they will reach out with encouragement or tips. At the park, several passersby would comment and say good luck, or you look great, as they could easily spot I was a beginner. It was so kind, and very different from the pointing stares I thought I might receive. When baking bread, even when I knew it was not perfectly successful, everyone around me ate it and was impressed that I had produced an edible and tasty loaf. It’s amazing to see how different and supportive everyone is compared to what you build up in your head. Don’t let your insecurities hold you back. In the beginning, done is better than perfect, and with time improvements will come.

In the past few years, I have tried my hand at cooking, baking, blogging and now skateboarding. I love skateboarding, as it gets me outdoors and is stress relieving. When I go skateboarding I have to focus on the task, and immediately stop thinking about work, the elections and the pandemic. I am still learning so much for all of my hobbies and have had a blast along the way. It has also been fun to encourage those around me to try a new recipe and give them inspiration that if I can do it, anyone can. 

There are a lot more skills, hobbies and experiences I would like to try. And maybe even a new business. Any failures along the way will serve as learning curves to help me achieve my ultimate goals. What new skills, hobbies or ventures are you all interested in tackling, and what is holding you back?