The underrated art of being a beginner.

I am bad at so many things. Or at least, I think I am. Lately, I've started wondering how much of that is about my abilities and how much is about the hours I spend comparing myself to people who have been doing something for years.

I'm married to a guy who is good at a lot of things. But I think Dave's most underrated quality is his ability to be a joyful beginner.

Before I met him, he'd never run more than a mile, was a terribly inefficient swimmer, couldn't cook an egg, and couldn't carry a beat to save his life.

Since then, he's completed a marathon, multiple multi-day adventure races, and triathlons. He cooks pretty much every day and dances with me anytime I ask.

Is he the most efficient runner or swimmer? Nope. An incredible chef? Not exactly. Does he have rhythm? Absolutely not. 😂 But he keeps showing up.

Dave has no fear of being the worst at something. He prioritizes learning over protecting some arbitrary vision of what being talented or capable is supposed to look like. And I suspect that's a big part of why he's become good at so many things.

There's a big difference between someone who thinks they know everything and someone who knows they don't know a thing but is excited to learn. Expertise doesn't start with being good. It starts with being willing to be bad.

What if we spent a little less time comparing ourselves to people who've been at it for years and a little more time enjoying the process of figuring things out?

Here's to the joyful beginners, the awkward swimmers, the terrible dancers, and the people who burn the first few eggs.

May we all spend less time trying to prove what we're good at and more time discovering what we're capable of. ❤️