There are certain skills and talents everyone yearns to have. A few of my own would be to play the ukulele, dance salsa, and draw with ease. There is a long list of things everyone always says they’ll do one day, but they never do. The most basic excuse is time- no one has time. But when almost everyone spends 3+ hours on social media everyday, it’s no longer a valid excuse.
If time isn’t holding everyone back from achieving their dreams, what is? Most likely the fear of failure, the fear of looking dumb, the fear of being a beginner. But fear no more because I’m here to teach you how to be a beginner. I am someone who gets terrible anxiety over being bad at something. Especially in a class, or a situation where someone is teaching me how to do something. I get this feeling like I’m wasting their time and with each mistake they are getting more frustrated with me. But really, I’m just getting frustrated with myself because being a beginner is hard. In a society obsessed with only showing the final product and never the process, it is easy to forget that talent takes work. So, take a breath and remember these four things:
1 ) You will not be good at this…and no one expects you too!
If you’re learning to dance, you will step on people’s toes. You will trip over your own feet. You will lose the beat of the music, so on and so forth. As a beginner you know nothing, and making mistakes is natural and should be embraced. You did something wrong, and now you know how to do it right. No matter what you are learning, dancing, swimming, writing- embrace your mistakes, be kind to yourself when you mess up. No one is expecting you to do back flips at your first gymnastic class. So why are you expecting it from yourself?
2 )Teachers/Guides/Mentors are there to help you and they do not hate you.
I know, when you are making mistakes it’s frustrating. But whoever is teaching you will not get upset if you make the same mistake a million times. They may even get a bit frustrated with themselves for not being able to help you enough.
If you have ever taught anyone else something new, then hopefully you can remember them making a mistake. You didn’t hate them or get annoyed at them, you helped them figure it out.
And if you’re really afraid of being annoying acknowledge that you are making a mistake. Tell them what you’re stuck on, and it can help them help you. Learning something is a two-way street, so don’t be afraid to talk to your instructor.
3 ) I promise no one is watching you.
The fear of judgment is another hang up for beginners. Especially if you are surrounded by people with a higher skill level than you. But fear not, I promise they are all focused on their own work. They don’t care that you are practicing the basics, or if this is your first class, or anything else. You’re so hyper focused on yourself it feels like everyone else is too. And if someone is watching you, I promise they are not thinking “look at that idiot”. They are probably just remembering when they were a beginner too, and struggling with the same thing you are. And, I am more than certain they are glad to have you there.
4 ) You want this! Don’t let your fear get in the way.
Whatever you are learning, you started because you wanted to. Don’t let your fears, anxieties, or anything get in your way. I swear that if you push through you will not regret it. You will have fun and you can feel proud of not giving in to beginner fears.
There is a stigma that being a beginner is something to be ashamed of. But really, being a beginner should be praised. It’s easy to be a highly skilled at something after years of training, practicing, and working. It’s easy to be confident in your skill level and work. But beginner’s take the leap and start something they know nothing about. They are the brave souls willing to start a new journey despite everything. Be proud of yourself for being a beginner, it means you are the type of person that doesn’t let anything stand in the way of what you want.
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