I went karting on Saturday for my birthday as I really enjoy it. During the day, one of my mates said “You know your hobbies, do you only do things you’re really good at?”, which got me thinking that perhaps i do yes, as the things i’m not good at I don’t enjoy.

Is it just me? Do you lot strive to improve in things you aren’t good at or just do the things you are as you enjoy them?

I’m a crap cyclist but I still keep doing it for some reason!

well i am shit at cycling, so no

As hard as a I have tried to play a musical instrument I just cannot do it – it frustrates me immensely so I have stopped trying 😆

You’d have to define good I suppose.

I’m a terrible runner, but I am trying really hard. Because I hate being so bad at it.

I suppose the hobby there is overcoming challenges…

As hard as a I have tried to play a musical instrument I just cannot do it – it frustrates me immensely so I have stopped trying

That’s familiar. I pick up a guitar, get fecked off inside of ten minutes that I’m not the ghost of Hendrix, and find something else to do.

I’m shit at most things, so I’d never do owt if I applied that mentality. 🙄

I used to but now I’m getting better at just doing things because I enjoy them rather than to be the best I can be. I’m getting into yoga a bit. At first because I’m getting older and I wanted something that would let me get better at other activities but now I find I enjoy it in it’s own right even though I’m crap.

I’m terrible at DH, but I love it anyway. So I keep doing it.

I’d still ride a bike no matter how good or bad at it I was, but I think I would lose my enthusiasm for racing if I was consistently near last.

It has been remarked on more than one occasion that my karaoke singing may not be all that it is cracked up to be but I keep on getting up on stage and belting em out 😀

Squash and badminton only sports I am good at.
Not played them for years..

Everybody starts from somewhere. And maybe we’re not as good as we think.

Thinking about this,

I don’t think it’s a case of “doing something you’re good at,” for me at least, so much as “doing things you know you’re improving at.”

I got proper bitten by the climbing bug a few years ago, I was going at least three times a week, usually a fair bit more. What kept me going was, there was a very obvious, tangible progression.

With running say, you might get fitter, maybe shave a few seconds off a time, but it’s not easy to notice. If you’re losing weight / getting stronger or whatever, it’s fairly ephemeral unless you actually bother to start measuring things.

With climbing, I could see it. One day, coldn’t reach a hold on a route. Next session, get fingertips to it. Next time, actually get hold, then fall off. Next one, get hold, keep hold. Then, do something with it, move on past that problem and there’s the next one and back we go again.

There was one route at my local wall, it took me six months to top out on. But every time, I got a tiny bit closer, immediately obvious and tangible positive feedback. Such a rush when I finally nailed it, too.

So yeah, I think that’s what drives my hobbies, not “being good” so much as “getting good.”

Maybe.

i think part of the fun in most past-times is the learning curve that you take.

obviously you need that first kick or interest, but once you have it then the journey of improvement is half the fun.

i like bikes, kites and snowboarding.

i’m not the hottest snowboarder, but like to try new things and get bored just going up and down the slope (unless it’s a proper powder day). i like to try riding fakie, spinning around, popping the board, (small) jumps and drops. i fall over a lot more than some of my friends, but then when i try something and don’t fall over i get a kick out of it.

the same goes for kiting, or kiteboarding/snowkiting. when i started i got dragged all over the shop and would have various bruises and aches of varying severity. not had the kite out for ages, but i’m not bad. can pull of a few airial and ground tricks with style and get a kick out of trying and (possibly) landing new tricks.

it’s all about progression.

i played golf when i was younger. although competent, i never contiued playing as i reached a level where i was ok, but knew i didn’t get a real kick out of it so stopped.

n.b. i know golf is a slightly different game compared to the other two.

to be honest, i don’t get it when people go for a ride and just pootle along and stay within their comfort zone. part of the fun is trying – and getting away with – new things.

It depends on your perception of good and your expectations.

I am a very poor mountain biker and unlikely to get much better given I took it up later in life. Its good fun and I am happy aspiring to do the Black at Llandegla (which gives you an indication of where my skill levels are!)

At running I was not too bad but I was always frustrated as I wanted to be much better.

Both give me pleasure but with hindsight I should have adjusted my expectations with the running otherwise even good days became relative disapointments.

To answer the OP you should do what you enjoy and not worry about how good you are.

how do we measure our success in these things?

I’m just thinking about some crazy assed talent show, say X factor. A lot more people turn up who are absolutely pants than those that are good. They all say, irrespective of whether they’re good or not, that ‘this is all they’ve ever wanted’. Then 99.9% of them are the worst singers ever, I mean really, seriously, mentally deranged bad. Worse than me.

But they still think they’re fantastic at it.

So the moral is, have very, very low expectations and you’ll enjoy everything you do. Works for me and it’s useful advice to give to any lovers I might have.

During the day, one of my mates said “You know your hobbies, do you only do things you’re really good at?”

It was your birthday, he was just being nice to you, he really thinks your crap at everything. 🙂

My only two hobbies are mountain biking and photography.

Sometimes i feel i’m rubbish at them others ok at them.
Both i enjoy and try to progress with my ability and to push to the next level to further my enjoyment.

i’m:

crap at biking.

crap at climbing.

crap at running.

crap at snowboarding.

crap at guitar.

crap at surfing.

crap at cooking.

crap at talking to women.

crap at swimming.

crap at my job.

crap at drinking.

it seems i only do things i’m crap at.

I don’t like doing things I’m rubbish at but I don’t think I have to be great at something to enjoy it. That said I did rowing as a sport for years, training pretty much all the time I could (eg 6 days a week, often two or three sessions a day), largely because I was good at it – I certainly wouldn’t have done it if I was only as good/average as I am at cycling which I do because I really enjoy riding bikes.

I quite admire people who can do things they’re crap at but can still enjoy them.

have very, very low expectations and you’ll enjoy everything you do

A philosophy that has served me well for over 40 years.

“Being” crap at something is OK. “Staying” crap would/does drive me up the wall.

For me there’s very little point in doing anything badly. If you’re going to do something, learn to do it well. If you can’t learn or aren’t getting anywhere, then leave it to someone who can.

…so yes, I strive to improve…

Yeah, that’s pretty much where I was coming from there.

I get to a reasonable standard at many things I try, but always struggle to ever get really good at anything. Learning curve, time and all that.

I’d be extremely bored and unemployed if that was the case 😀

My downhill “skills” and speed are pathetic but I still love it.

Have days when I’m cr4p at surfing – just doesn’t come together, then days where everything works. That makes for some slightly confusing self worth issues. Most inconsistent sport ever.

But yes, it’s nice to be okayish at stuff – I think, like many here (I suspect) being fairly fit and healthy tends to mean you pick new stuff up quickly.

I can only get so far myself, after which I need someone to show me how to get better. I’d love to be able to manual for example, but struggle to find the motivation to go out and practice practice practice until I can do it. Same principal in other stuff I do, although I must say when it comes (came!) to climbing I had pretty good technique, I was just weak 🙂

ermmm isn’t this just beating yourself up, or rather going back to the original post, someone else playing mind-games?

I’m a crap cyclist – compared to Peaty, Wiggo, LA etc… but compared to my neighbours I’m a cycling god.
Same with cooking – I can cook most things from a recipe, have a few of my own but am not a chef of any sort. Some people think I’m great, others are polite. The kids think I’m great when it’s something they like and sh1te when it’s not.

Isn’t it more important that most people find something they like to do and then try to get better?

I like sex…

Some things are still easy and fun when you’re crap (riding a bike, playing badminton) and some are totally frustrating until you reach a certain level (golf, tennis).

I like sex…

MYTH BUSTED!!

Even within biking, I think a lot of people only do the things they’re good at. See the perennial “This year I’ll learn to jump/wheelie/proper-bunny-hop” thing that many mountain bikers go through.

The reasons that they don’t? For me it’s because I can do “normal” riding so it’s double frustrating practising the parts of riding I’m particularly bad at.

My mediocrity is legendary!

I gave up fencing when I was 12 due to the time commitment needed; regretted it when I realised later in life that it was the only sport I was ever really good at.