The Everyday Fears of An Average Beginner

I have a confession; I am a kook.

If you don’t know what a kook is, you’ve probably not tried surfing – or you have, and you’re one too. A kook is a beginner, who makes stupid and often hilarious mistakes.

A kook is the person that probably tries their best, but has limited knowledge and it shows. A kook is most certainly, and irrefutably, me.

When used to sending hard in one sport, it’s easy to forget how to be a beginner. We become so accustomed to expecting the most from our body that when it doesn’t respond in the way we want, it’s infuriating.

How can we accept these feelings of incompetence (Conscious incompetence, as known by psychology) and use it to our adventure, when the feeling itself is uncomfortable enough to put someone off?

Don’t think about being good at it.

As we grow, we’re inundated with an expectation of ‘natural talent’. Everyone has certain qualities that make some sports easier than others – but if we expect ourselves to out achieve our capabilities, we set ourselves up for downfall.

Don’t look at the people you ‘wish you were like’. They’ve earned the right to be that good, they’ve worked hard at it – most likely for years.

And they’ve earned the right to do so without your frustration and them, and yourselves, that you’ve not reached that level yet.

Instead enjoy the individual moments.

Share the experience.

The best thing I ever did for my surfing ability was finding someone else at the same stage of the learning process.

Previously I’d only surfed alone, or with someone so far beyond my capabilities that I felt I was letting them down when I inevitably couldn’t keep up.

Friendships and groups can be massively motivating. They provide a social environment that will offer tips, goals and guilt on the days that you really don’t feel like letting your ego take a hit.

It gives you an environment to vent your frustrations, and a community to discuss successes. There’ll always be people around who’re interested in your activity – and having someone else there can make the difference in you carrying on or not.

Celebrate the small successes.

When we become accustomed to big successes, we’re less likely to notice the smaller ones – this is a mindset that has to change when you become a beginner again.

It’s not about the end goal, it’s about the journey we take to get there.

Taking time to acknowledge every improvement will not only help you keep track of your progress, but will also keep you motivated to keep trying.