When we were little, we’d call adults “grown-ups.” We’d play into this idea that once we got to a certain age, we would be grown. We'd have most things figured out. Done.
Thus, then, my disappointment when I’m struck with the daily reminders that I don’t have it figured out. I get parking tickets more than I’d like to admit*. I occasionally scold a kid for farting in reading class. And I forget my keys all the time (albeit way less often than I used to, okay dad?...).
While I was taking Stephanie Snyder’s class at Love Story recently, she said something that stuck. She said that, yes, we leave. We step off our mat, we forget, we jump into the past and the future and the “What If’s.” And then, we come back. We begin again. We forget, and then we begin again. We begin again, and again, and again. Until, someday, it just becomes one long, seamless beginning…
What I’m offering you this week is nothing new. It is, however, a reminder that, hey, we’re talking about practice. Doctors don’t accomplish medicine, they practice it. Lawyers practice law. Subway sandwich artists practice sandwich artistry. And you? You practice everything. Everything- every little thing, even the things we thought we’d have figured out by now- how to keep a budget, how to make small talk, how to put together a goddamn Ikea dresser- it’s practice, man.
We all have the practices that we’ve deemed worthy of our attention and effort. Whether it's your career, a side hustle, or a passion project, when it’s a practice you’ve established for yourself, it’s easy to have a strong practitioner’s mindset. But in addition to those hand-picked practices, there are also those practices that unfold not by us, but for us. Could you take the mindset you have for that new rock climbing practice, or yoga teacher training, or cooking class, and apply it to the challenging parts of your day to day routine?
Play with this thought: anytime you hear the voice in your head say something like “You should be better at this by now!” this may be a practice revealing itself to you. Tired of hitting snooze ten times? You’re developing a stronger sleep practice. Instead of beating yourself up over canceling a friend date, you could recognize that you’re practicing (time management? Commitment? Boundaries? Insert your practice here).
We forget, and we begin again. And again. You’re already doing it, and you’re doing great. Keep practicing.
*Okay, fine. I got five this summer.