I was chatting with a few friends the other day about how new things always seem hard until we unlock some initial progress.
Running feels untenable until I have a baseline cardiovascular strength. Before that it’s just nonstop pain. But slowly if I don’t give up, I can build my capacity and I can start getting to a place where improvement becomes possible.
The same applies to drawing, photography, learning languages, and many other skills. I remember before I left for Tokyo back in 1999, Jake and I had listened to how to pronounce Japanese numbers and I felt I could never ever possibly learn that language. And I did, of course. Hours and hours of studying is what it took.
I’ve made a lot of improvements in my strength this year, I’ve gotten to a point where climbing harder, riding the bike harder, and doing core have all become feasible. I’m not where I want to be, yet but I can see the line of sight much more visibly than I ever have before.
This makes me think about all the other areas of my life where I’d intended to lean in but I never got past that first stage. Maybe it’s time to pick one or two and see what I can do.
Yes to progress. Yes to keeping at it. Yes I can.
#yearofyes #karenikayearofyes
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