When I worked at Rabobank I picked up juggling. Not just at home during the time I was working at the bank. I picked up juggling while physically at the bank.
I’m fairly sensitive to wrist-aches due to too much computer time. And at the bank I worked with the computer a lot. So, I had to take regular breaks. Of course, it’s possible to get coffee and tea for everybody (which I did a lot), but that still leaves quite some time. So, why not get some light exercise? And juggling was perfect for that.
He hasn’t dropped them. Yet…
The old skills came back fairly quickly and the patterns that I was able to do before returned with a bit of practice.
At which time it was obvious that I needed to push it further, to learn something new.
Let the frustration begin!
The patterns I was able to do before were deeply engrained in my motor memory. New patterns make a bit of use of that (general eye-hand coordination), but there is still a lot to pay attention to when there are three (or even four) balls flying through the air in what seems like random trajectories.
Until very slowly I’m now getting a bit better again. Slightly better able to predict where my balls are going. Slightly better able to give them a correct aim in the first place. Slightly better at having my hands at exactly the right spot.
I’m still dropping them more often than I catch them though.
Which brings me to a saying I really like: “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not learning anything new.” If you’re not dropping your balls, then you are already able to do it and you’re not being challenged. And life without a bit of challenge is very dull indeed.
Mistakes are a frustrating but very necessary part of growth.
Let’s make more mistakes!