The joy of being a beginner
Recently, I’ve been trying my hand at a new hobby - gardening. Specifically, I’ve been trying to grow some vegetables and plants from seeds. I have little pots lining my windowsills, planters filled with seedlings in the garden, and a new found obsession with making sure everything is well watered.
This new hobby of mine is more than a little out of character. For a start, I have a reputation as a bit of a plant killer - while my millennial pals know how to care for monsteras like they were born to do it, I struggle to keep even the most hardy of succulents alive. I always start with the best of intentions, buying pretty pots and misting sprays, but within a couple of weeks, the inevitable brown leaves start to appear.
I’m also notoriously impatient. I wish I could say I’m the sort of person who calmly floats through life, letting the days unfold at their own speed, always focused on the present moment, but that would be a lie. What’s more truthful is that I’m driven by action, and I like to see the results of my efforts quickly.
Given all of that, I was apprehensive about dipping my toe into the world of gardening. I worried I’d find it boring. I worried that I’d lose patience and give up. And most of all I worried that I’d find it incredibly infuriating to be a beginner at something again, with no guarantees that I’d ever get good.
And yet, I still decided to give it a go - and my god, am I glad I did, because I’ve fallen in love with this new hobby of mine. What I’ve discovered is that while gardening isn’t particularly sexy or cool or shiny, it’s really bloody joyful. There’s magic in watching those seedlings start to push through soil, tiny green shoots that have emerged from nothing but a seed and a bit of compost. It’s meditative to stand in the garden each evening, watering my pots and checking my plant babies for any signs of change.
I am still very much a beginner. I have no doubt that some of the seeds will fail, that there will be disappointments and botched crops ahead. I don’t imagine that my skills will ever get past the basics. But that’s okay. Because even being a beginner at this feels so exciting, so fulfilling.
And there’s a lesson in that. I know I’m not the only one who shies away from being a beginner, who feels intimidated trying something new. It’s easier to stick to what we know, to rely on the hobbies we already have, to stay well within our comfort zone. But my experiment with gardening and growing has reminded me that in staying comfortable, we often miss out on precious moments of joy.
So today, I wanted to ask you - what are you putting off because you think it will require too much effort? What are you shying away from because you’re not sure you want to get out of your comfort zone? What would you love to do if I could promise you that being a beginner was fun?
Whatever your answer - do that thing. Dive in headfirst and be ready to embrace all the joy that comes with being a beginner.
