Experience Needed

Last week, I continued working on the little renovations in my house. I’d been putting off replacing my light switches, because, although I had watched someone do it and it seemed simple enough, I had really never done it. I know about things I have never done. They can be difficult, stressful, or just plain irritating. 

I’ve now replaced about 14 of my light switches, because I wanted them to be white instead of almond. Sure enough, absolutely nothing went exactly right. Oops… lost a screw down the sink. Great… the replacement screws on the next one aren’t quite long enough. Oh, brother… the new white switch plate isn’t as big as the almond one, and doesn’t cover the old paint. Really?... now the cordless drill needs re-charged.

Every switch I replaced came with its own new, little aggravation. Nothing really stopped me, but every little irritation came with some trip back downstairs or out to the shed. I couldn’t help but wonder
which of these little annoyances I might have avoided, if I had been an experienced electrician (or even a slightly experienced handyman, um… person).

For the things I do well every day, I know where to expect annoyances, and most of the time, I know how to avoid them. Leave the house at 6:15, because if you wait until 6:30 to leave, there’s too much traffic. Wear gloves when pulling weeds, or your fingernails won’t come clean for a week. Put your coffee cup on the right, front corner of your desk, not the left middle. For the things I do not do regularly, however, I have no such radar for knowing how to prepare, what to expect, or what to avoid, and so I am subject to irritation. 

That, I suppose, is one of the reasons we value experience. It’s why we are willing to hire people who have more experience, and why we tend to limit ourselves and our lives to what we know best. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, until it becomes our own version of a rut, limits our creativity, or hinders our ability to grow our own confidence.

Sure I was annoyed because I wasn’t perfectly efficient at replacing my  switches. However, now that it’s done, I kind of like the fact I did it myself. So now, I wonder what other little things I might be able to do that seem intimidating, or like they might be frustrating, or that I feel may be just beyond my current level of enthusiasm. I truly believe that, if I were to try them anyway, I would be rewarded with the joy of breaking out of my routine if nothing else, and quite possibly, I could discover a new skill, pastime, or
reason to be proud of my own tenacity.

So, what is it for you? Is there something you’ve been putting off? Something you’ve always wanted to try but just haven’t gotten that final push? Something you are certain you would not be at all good at doing but wish that you could be? I invite you to just go for it!

Yes, you may feel silly at first. Yes, you might be dreading it. Yes, you might feel annoyed, clumsy or frustrated. And yes, I am confident that, having gone through whatever it is, you will find pride in having braved something new, enlightenment from the learning, and joy. After all a full life, by definition, needs experiences. 

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