The Learning Curve

I have been thinking about things I want to be good at.  Things that I am not actually good at and that, if I'm honest, are going to take some practice.  Oh, it is the wretched learning curve!

I suppose that the sooner I step onto the learning curve and start marching forward, the sooner I will begin to ascend that curve.  So I have decided that it's time for me to stop looking at all the things I can't do and stop fretting about the millions of things other people do beautifully.  I have decided that I am going to make a list for me...because, when all else fails, make a list!

I am going to make a list of those things I want to do well.  Then, perhaps, I can start focusing on my learning curve tasks when I have a few minutes or hours instead of wasting those same minutes wondering why my house isn't Better Homes & Gardens perfect or why my menu doesn't read like America's Test Kitchen.    

It is a matter of perspective.  One of the downfalls of the Internet is that you lose perspective.  Because really, there are so many people out there and they are so good at so many things....but here's the thing...any one of them is not good at everything.  And even the people and ideas I find most desirable can be quite contradictory!

Just from my own Bookmark list I can see:
~I love Pioneer Woman's whimsy and humor.  I love Ann Voskamp's deep, contemplative and poetic writing.
~I love The Artful Parent's relaxed way of doing crafts. I love Deep Space Sparkle's beautiful, professional, art lesson plans.
~I love Soule Mama's hippy homestead life.  I love Blissfully Content's faith-filled farm life.
~I love Not Just a Housewife's tutorials that (sometimes) require power tools.  I love Jones Design Company's tutorials that (sometimes) require a glue gun.


So, here's my current list of a few things I want to be good at:
- Plant, tend and grow a productive garden. 
- Make bread
- Grill meat
- Write/Blog
- Dinner conversation
- Take good photos and do photo editing
- Sew and create things
- Biblical teaching

There are other things I need to practice relationally.
- Good mommy-reactions to my kids
- Gratitude
- Being fully present in the now
- Consciously and intentionally seeing how God acts in my life

P.S. I also want to be good at not ending sentences with prepositions.  But that's going to have to wait until after I finish this post.

"This is the sort of English up with which I will not put."
 -Attributed to Winston Churchill

Comments

Anonymous said…
Stop it already with these posts... makes me miss you too much when I can hear your voice and heart and wit so clearly!!! kmc
September 25, 2013 at 7:54 AM
Donita said…
Was it the use of the word "wretched" or "fabulous" that made you miss me...or was it the type-os? I don't even think I used the word fabulous...maybe I'll add it when I edit my spelling!
September 25, 2013 at 11:30 AM
Anonymous said…
Oh, it's just your incredible insights and wisdom that just overflow from your "pen." And the way you capture just what I'm thinking- and I wasn't even aware I had the thoughts until you put them in print and it resonates so clearly with me! That's all. :-)
kmc
October 16, 2013 at 8:13 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rainbow Layer Cake

Image
We saw this Rainbow Checkerboard Cake video several months ago and Calvin was intrigued.  He ended up adding it to our Summer Fun Ideas List and this week we made it happen.  This was not quite a Pinterest Fail, but if you look at the video you will see how far from the original creation our cake actually was.    One cake mix was divided into pink and yellow.  One cake mix we made into blue and green.     Lots of boys.  Lots of help.  Lots of hand washing.    We cut the center out of each one and rearranged the colors.    And stacked them all together.  If we had waited until the cakes were completely cool, or even par-froze the layers they would have stacked more easily without cracking. I was running low on frosting and patience and endurace, so the end product left a lot to be desired. But, remember the boys up there?  They didn't care!  They oohed-and...
Read more

First Week of Summer...Check

Image
We finally finished up our school work during the week of Memorial Day.  The boys were so excited to finally be on Summer Break like everyone else.  But at 7:50AM on Monday, June 1 I actually heard the words, "I'm bored."  *Deep Breath*  Fortunately, after that they kids found plenty to occupy their time and we hardly even left the neighborhood.   Our first week of Summer Break ended up gloriously uneventful and I only heard "I'm bored" once or twice a day.  We stayed at home a lot, made lots of messes, and got to know the neighborhood kids better.  We had to buy some walkie-talkies, replace a bicycle pedal, and get a case of Gatorade for the kids.  Here's what we were up to! Legos.  Blankets make clean up ten times easier!  Star Wars Lego building. Riding Bikes with the boys in the neighborhood!  (Not all of them are in the picture!)    What the driveway looks like some da...
Read more

A Growing Kind of Birthday

Image
I shouldn't hate birthdays as much as I do.  And it's not for the reasons most women quintessentially hate birthdays.  It's not about getting older or the passage of time.  It is really all about expectations.  Call me crazy, but I just want the day to be special.  I have had trouble defining what I want to be "special," but the more I ponder it, the more it comes down to being known.  I want to be known and celebrated.  I don't want to choose the restaurant, I want someone to suggest the one they know I'll love.  I don't want to have to ask to not cook, I want it to be offered.  I don't want to do things out of obligation, I want to have a day of joy.  I don't want to ask for a gift and be given that exact thing, I want to be known enough to have inspired gift-giving.  I don't want to have to ask for everything, I want it to be offered, as a gift, because I am known.  That is the gift! No wonder I...
Read more