How To Be Less S**t

When it comes to being the very best at something new, whether it’s a new skill, a website design or even beating a video game, I have to be thoroughly prepared. I have to throw my mind at what ever I’m working at, usually behind closed doors for a long while before even humouring the idea of coming public or practical with it. I like to know the ins and outs, the what ifs and become beyond qualified before entering anything challenging. I like the become the best of the best from the very start. It’s here, at this mentality where the diluted idea creates a big-ass-problem.

You’re always taught that training hard and committing yourself to something with your all will result in great things. That putting in a shit-tonne of study and research will result in ‘you’ striving in (insert here) and you’ll be the one whom reaches new highs in what every industry you’re tackling. You’re taught failure is not an option – and if you fail, you’re a fucking failure. That missing the mark and landing in second is just ‘first loser’ and everything you dreamed about exists in achieving success at all costs.

Your taught how to win the race… not to grow from coming in second.

It’s inspiring isn’t it! It makes sure you have the right mindset heading in and that your going to win – at least that’s what you’re telling yourself. Stand in front of the mirror mentality and scream “I’m a winner” and “I’m the best”. And while the over-the-top romanticised delusion of being a natural born ‘gun’ at everything is exciting and ‘oh so alpha’, the reality is you’re going to suck – you’re going to suck really fucking bad. When this realisation sets in – generally at about the 30 minute mark into what ever you’re trying to do, then you become afraid. But you shouldn’t be.

The ‘sucking so bad at something’ stage is the best stage. Let me explain;

• Stage 1: Know nothing about (insert here) but discover you want to know more.

• Stage 2: Begin to suck at it. Learn what (insert here) is about and the steps required to suck less at it. TIP: Try really hard to not to bail out at this point – most people do!

• Stage 3: Practise sucking less at (insert here) and begin talking about (insert here) more and more, and actually begin sucking less at it.

• Stage 4: Suck less than the people around you and turn to creating content that allows others to suck less as well. Be part of the community of people who suck less at (insert here).

• Stage 5: Be less shit at (insert here).

This method has some absolute sound logic attached to it – can’t you see. I say that sucking at something is the only way to suck less at something. The goal shouldn’t be to be the ‘gun’ but rather suck less than everyone else does. To me, when I apply logic to it, it makes more sense to be less shit than perfect.

In a nutshell, how can you be great at something if you don’t fuck up? Like fuck up so many times that fucking up actually becomes more common than being fucking awesome. Fuck up so bad that you’ll never fuck that thing that fucking way ever fucking again. Fucked if I know!

Despite knowing this I still go in everything that I attempt with the mentality of how I’m going to be amazing at (insert here). I still don’t accept the fact that the only way to progress and become awesome at something is to fuck up so much that I discover how not to fuck up as much. I still dilute myself with the vision of perfection from the start. And just thinking about all the opportunities I missed because I sucked at something and gave up on it makes me think that I just fucking suck at sucking long enough to be great.