Tag: failure

Juggling Life

Juggling Life

Last summer I asked a friend if she could teach me how to juggle. On the first day we bought some lemons and all we did for about an hour was practice tossing one lemon from hand to hand. Getting that perfect high arch. Letting 

August Progress Goal: Math

August Progress Goal: Math

So, last fall semester I was thinking about taking some classes in computational linguistics (think the programs that make Siri and Alexa work or give you the autofill function in Gmail). The thing is you need some solid math skills for these classes. So, I 

I Was Wrong about Skateboarding

I Was Wrong about Skateboarding

It seems like this is the month of admitting that I’m wrong about everything. There is something beautiful about being wrong and expanding your mind to possibilities you had previously not been able to imagine.

But, enough waxing poetic, what was I wrong about this time?

Well, in my original post about why I wanted to learn to skateboard this month, I wrote that it “will in no way help me in life.” I think I was wrong about that.

I mean, I don’t think it will directly help me get a job or anything since I’m not planning on becoming a professional skateboarder any time soon. But, it has helped me to become a little bit tougher.

Let me elaborate. On the first day of the month of practicing just riding my skateboard around in the parking lot behind my apartment, I fell down a hill and scraped my elbow. But, I had to get up and keep practicing.

About a week later, once I had built up some confidence, I decided to ride my skateboard to the gym. I looked like a complete idiot wobbling around and occasionally almost faceplanting off my board when I hit a crack in the sidewalk. But I had to keep going to get to the gym.

Skateboarding is one of those things that you have to fail at over and over and over again to get even slightly proficient at. I didn’t choose it because of that. I chose it because it’s also really fun. But I think having to fail, look dumb, fall down, get hurt, get back up again, and repeat will help me in life. A lot.

Welcome to Progress Making

Welcome to Progress Making

Hey, welcome! I’m really glad you clicked whatever link you did to bring you here. Time is valuable so I appreciate you spending some of it here. Before you get in too deep I want to make a few confessions. I don’t have it all