It’s OK to be bad at things. As long as you’re enjoying them.
Embarrassment, fatigue, and stress are all factors that cause us to give up on our hobbies or things we enjoy. That’s right . . . people give up things they enjoy because they either think they’re bad at them or others are laughing. And that’s complete nonsense . . . so I’d like to make the case for why it’s OK to be bad at things as long as you’re enjoying them.
“Never Half Ass Two Things. Whole Ass One Thing.” – Ron Swanson
A lot of people say that it’s better to half-ass something that to never do it at all. While I do agree with that, I think it’s missing one important aspect. If you’re half-assing something are you really enjoying it? Chances are you’re probably just going through the motions. That’s why it’s important to enjoy what you’re doing and to give it your all if you’re going to suck at it in the long run. We don’t spend a lot of time being really bad at something if we don’t enjoy it. If we did that would be considered punishment.
Don’t Define Yourself By What You’re Good At
Being good at things has its advantages as it gives you something to be proud of achieving. It also allows you to connect with others in a way that you might not have been able to before by being bad at them. But there are some problems that might arise. According to Emily Torres the problem with connecting with people by being good at things is that it starts to become your self identity. In other words, it becomes hard to separate your identity from your skills. If you were a 200+ average bowler you would might find yourself wondering if your teammates liked you because of your personality or your amazing average. If they like you that’s great, however, for your own self worth just assume they like you for your personality and not your skill (unless you find out otherwise).
That’s why it’s OK to be bad at things as long as you enjoy them. Because WHO CARES if you’re completely terrible at something as long as you’re having fun doing it. Of course, you might not be invited to join their recreational league basketball or softball team . . . but that’s quite alright. If you’re having fun doing it and they like having you around then you know they like you for your company.
Pick Something To Start Being Bad At
The best part of accepting that it’s OK to be bad at things is that you can sleep better at night. You don’t even have to want to get better at what you’re doing! You’re deriving value out of the fact you’re doing something, you’re giving it your all, and you’re enjoying doing it.
If you don’t know where to start when it comes to trying things to be bad at, just throw yourself out there and give it a try. Kickball, darts, tennis . . . it doesn’t matter. Just give it a try and if it’s fun (although you’re terrible) then keep up at it. Remember, no one really cares how you look while you’re doing it.
