Do Things You Suck At

Many people tend to do things that they are good at and avoid things they are not very good at. In some cases this is a good idea. If there are safety issues or it is very expensive, you may want to steer clear of things you are not very good at. 

However, you may want to do things you are not very good at.

I can’t draw very well. I’ve never been able to. Even if I have a good idea in my head, I usually can’t get my hands to do what is necessary to draw the image. I have no idea how to frame the perspective. I just really suck at drawing. That’s not to say I am not a visual person. I can take a very good picture, but don’t ask me to draw it.

A while back I was looking for something to do in the evenings from time to time. I have an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil. I downloaded a pretty basic free drawing app and started doodling. It was very relaxing. I am so bad I don’t expect anything to be good. I found this very liberating.

At first I was just doodling. I would draw things like irregular patterns or shapes. Then I started drawing things. It was so nice to just do something with no expectation of success. I felt free. I could do whatever I wanted and most of what I drew was terrible. I think how bad the drawings were helped make the whole process even more enjoyable.

It is important to perform well in a lot of what you do. You need to do well in your job. If you are a parent, you need to be good at that. These things and others matter a lot. Executing on them is important. Then there is a whole category of things that you should be good at like cooking.

Doing something that you are so bad that you have no chance to be good is liberating. It will make you smile and relax, because you know you are doing it just for you. However, I started to get better. I actually saw improvement, which is also motivating.

I’m sure if I really put in the time and effort, I would get a lot better. There is so much room for improvement but, I don’t want to. The effort would steal something from me that I value, something I’m so bad at it relaxes me and makes me happy.

The Slow Down

I have been very busy for the last year and for the most part, I have enjoyed it. My job is going so well, I didn't take all my vacation for the year and will have to roll over a bit to next year. Overall, it's been really good and now I have taken some time off over the Christmas holiday.

It's great to have some time to relax at my parents and visit my friends. We can be leisurely. There are very few scheduled activities. For the most part, it is simply a time to enjoy the company of others.

I can feel my batteries recharging.

However, it seems I can only be lazy for so long. As I become more rested, I find new ideas popping into my head. Ideas on how to make things better, plans on how to work more effectively, and observations of the world around me.

There is a culture shift. The pace of life in Brandon, Manitoba is not the same as Ottawa. People are not in a hurry here. People are not bothered if they hold you up a bit. There is validity to living a slower pace to life and I like to visit this slow sleepy town. However, I may have gown up in a small town but I like the big city life. I like the feeling that people are all around me and the energy that it brings. I like the short walk to get what I need or want. I am a city dweller and I like it.

I will be in Brandon for a few more days, and the slow pace will be nice for the holidays but I'm sure by the last day or so, I will be craving a busy street with horns honking and people chatting about nothing or everything. One of the great things about where you live is when you visit elsewhere, you can enjoy a change, just like I am now.

Lazy Sundays

This is the first Sunday in a long time that there is no football of any kind on. I aways find this a little difficult to deal with. My routine is thrown off kilter. There is no real reason to wake up. It's still winter and even though it was fairly nice out, I had no desire to be outside.

I was very lazy today.

I laid on the couch and watched a lot of movies. In a way it was rather glorious but it is also a bit unproductive. Ok it was very unproductive. I didn't even go buy groceries. Next week-end I will be in Saskatoon at a bonspiel I curl in every February. In less than three weeks, it will be March and that's when things get a lot better. The weather starts to get a lot better and that always improves my mood. So a super lazy Sunday in mid-February isn't a bad thing.

I have to admit it is nice to not have a plan and to just go with it. So much of life ends up being planned out. It has to be that way. It's really the only way to get things done. Not having a plan can feel very free. Being a blob on the couch won't keep you in shape but once in a while it will make you smile in a way like you are cheating the world, even if it's just for one day.

I am not advocating a lot of lazy days but every now and then, it's sure nice to just let the world pass you by and you can always jump back in tomorrow, just like I will.

Time Off

I took a few days off. My original plan was to attend Bonnaroo in Tennessee but the unstable geopolitical situation in Libya changed that. It's a long story that I won't bother you with. Instead I do want to mention that I am using some of my time to do the rest of the stuff around my apartment that I should have done months ago.

I really don't mind hauling the new furniture up to my place and assembling it (if required) but it sure seems like work.

I now have everything assembled.

The only thing left is hanging the pictures on the wall. This is a daytime activity so you don't disturb the neighbors. I keep starting it but I have no idea where to put the pictures. I think there is about 16 to hank so it isn't too much work but I can't seem to see a good way to lay them out throughout the place. I'm thinking I just need to give it the old college try and beg forgiveness if people don't like it.

I also picked up a kick ass recliner. It makes my living room much more livable when there are a few people around.

I realize this is a bit of a ramble but I do have a great place I just need the accents.

Down Time

I have been on a rather steady pace for about a year. I'm 3 days into a four day long weekend for Easter. It has been a very low key week-end which is what I need. I, like many people, seem to keep myself busy. For the most part I like to be busy but from time to time I just like to chill out and not keep any sort of schedule. This feeling only lasts a few days most of the time but when I am enjoying it.

It's important to be you. We seem to gravitate toward who we are. I took my current job in Ottawa because I figured it would have less work travel. It seems to have a very similar amount. That may be because it just how I know how to work. I'm a be out there and see how it's going kind of guy. I like to try it myself and I like to know as much as possible. It may not seem relevant today but the knowledge can bear fruit many years down the road.

As much as I like to stay busy, or at least I tell myself that, I do like the occasional bit of down time. I like the days where dozing off in the afternoon is ok. I eat when I want and I don't have to keep a schedule. It can't last too long. I can't handle two weeks of living like that but four days sure seems to be doing me well.

I'm enjoying some down time and it will help reinvigorate me for the workweek ahead.

The Dog Days of Summer

The weather in Manitoba has been strange this year. First there was the very early spring. Everything was dried up and leaves were out by the end of April. Following that we had a very wet spring. I thought a pre-historic lake was going to return. In the last couple of weeks the weatherman has not been close. It has been nice a lot of the time. It has been the dog days of summer.

I like the dog days of summer. Nice lazy weather is how I remember summertime as a kid. It makes for great memories. It makes it easy to have fun.

The idea of sitting out with a cold beverage at the end of a lazy day with the most important people in your life is universal. It can quickly become one of those moments you look back on with fond memories. Those are the moments that help make life worth living. The daily grind, is worth it when you can enjoy the dog days of summer. It is worth it when you have one of those moments that defines your summer, year, decade, or life.

I am around a lot of driven people who work very hard and make sacrifices. I hope one of the reasons they work so hard is so they can enjoy the dog days of summer.