I’ve been thinking lately about practice, especially after reading Outliers. It’s easy to forget how much time and effort it can take to become proficient in something, especially when watching someone who does it exceptionally well. I often overlook the countless hours of practice that are behind an astounding gymnastics routine, incredible speech, beautiful painting, or other work of art. If I take a moment to think about how an expert got so good at their chosen skill or if I try it for myself, I’m reminded of how much work it takes to master something. I don’t know if I’ve mastered anything, but I’ve certainly gotten good at several things I used to think I’d never even learn, such as swing dancing, juggling, solving Rubik’s Cubes, bicycling, and typing. For the remainder of this post, I’ll focus on the first two skills on that list.
When I talk about juggling or swing dancing with someone who doesn’t know how to do either, they often say “I could never do that” or “I don’t have the coordination for that”. Well, contrary to what several people I know have said about my abilities, I didn’t have the coordination for those things when I started them. I certainly had the ability to learn how to do them (and I think almost everyone else does as well), but I don’t think I have much natural talent for either of those skills. The reason I learned them and got good at them is because I wanted to learn how to do them, so I kept practicing until I got the hang of them. That persistence paid off, as did the continued practice that has made each of those skills fairly easy for me at this point.
But someone who sees me do something difficult and make it look easy isn’t seeing the years I spent struggling to get where I am today. If they could see footage of all the drops, missteps, timing issues, and other mistakes I’ve made along the way, they’d know that it took a lot of practice for me to get good at these things; they’d probably then be more motivated to give them a try, knowing that they’ll also get there with enough time and proper practice. I’ve seen this happen a lot, particularly when someone has a good teacher to show them the ropes and guide them through the initial learning curve.
I’ve gotten so much joy out of practicing my hobbies and sharing them with other people, and I love seeing their faces light up when they do something they never thought possible. That’s why it breaks my heart when someone says they can’t do something and doesn’t even give it a try. If they try it, get a feel for it, and decide it’s not for them, fair enough. But by not trying it because they think they can’t do it, they could be missing out on an incredibly fun, rewarding activity that’ll last a lifetime. I had no idea how much I’d enjoy juggling and swing dancing when I started them, or how much they would add to my life. If someone else can experience even a fraction of what those things have done for me, it’s well worth the effort on my part to introduce them to these skills and help them get started. I always love being part of that and I hope it continues and catches on with more people in more places.
