Edition #2: How Long Does it Actually Take To Get Good At Something?
Plus, a wild Airbnb scam, the Korean secret to happiness, and an Alcatraz menu that will make you hungry
A Note from the Editor
This past June, I started a new job in an industry I knew virtually nothing about. I remember my first week with startling clarity; sitting in a meeting full of well-dressed people, nodding along with false confidence as I frantically typed a note of all the phrases my colleagues were using that I didn't understand- I was so desperate to lessen the learning curve that I even made myself a glossary to decode the endless jargon. Though this was by no means my first job, it often felt like I was starting off brand new and I grew frustrated with myself every time I had to admit that I had no idea what was going on.
But a few weeks in, something clicked. The fogginess in my brain started to clear and I relied on less and less on my jargon glossary. A month in I could do the job without asking a million questions, and after three months I felt like I'd be doing this job my entire career. Today, when I reflect on how lost I was during those first few weeks, I can't help but laugh.
It got me thinking; how much time do we actually need to get good at something new? In our side hustle culture, everyone seems to be on the hunt to uncover the golden ticket that will bring in more money and create more opportunities for freedom. Acquiring a new skill can feel impossible while we're spending our days at a full-time job, and quitting said job to master something new isn't an option for most people. But maybe we don't need as much time to get good at something as we think we do, maybe it only takes three (dedicated) months.
Cheers my dears, thanks for reading. If my theory is correct and it only takes three months to get decent at something, what would you consider trying out? A hobby, a new job, a (I hate this phrase, so forgive me) side hustle?
Your Grandmother Will Say I Told You So. Most people have stayed at an Airbnb before. But what if, 10 minutes before you were due to check-in, you got a message from your host saying the property flooded but that you could stay somewhere bigger and better? What if you got to that "better" place only to find it was a total dump, and what if Airbnb wouldn't refund you for all this? Things get even more sketchy from there.
The Korean Secret to Happiness: Be Psychic. I'm a big fan of simple, seemingly obvious solutions to life's more complex problems. I also happen to be a big fan of all things stemming from Asian culture, so when I read about the Korean secret to happiness and success, I felt seen. Koreans call it nunchi, Americans call it being psychic, but perhaps we could also call it--wait for it--simply paying attention. Nunchi is a skill worth perfecting, and it won't even take you three months to learn it.
Why Are We So Afraid to Sit With Ourselves? Ask 10 people what they want in life and least 7 will answer "to be happy". But in the hamster wheel-like quest to find happiness, we tend to stuff our schedules to the brink-- work obligations, happy hours, date nights, and Google calendars booked solid for the next four to six weeks. That's why this piece feels both scary and utterly relatable.
Just a thought: what if we scheduled time to be with our own minds the same way we scheduled everything else? Could we bear the silence?
Perhaps You Should...
Spending the Evening Telling (or Listening to) Stories
Spend an evening listening to funny, touching, cringe-worthy and always interesting stories. How this live storytelling event works: buy your ticket as soon as they go on sale (they sell out fast), submit your name when you show up if you'd like to tell a story (not recommended your first time), sit back and listen to 10 randomly selected people tell their wildly engaging stories. Guaranteed to be more interesting than whatever you're currently watching on HBO/Netflix/Hulu.
**Bonus Content** (That Will Make You Hungry)
A lot has changed over the past 70 years. Including, it seems, the standards for prison food. I don't know about you, but I'd be all over this menu- griddle cakes, béchamel sauce, stuffed cabbage, SPICED CRAB APPLES! What are spiced crab apples? Sounds like a dish you would bring to Friendsgiving to impress the crowd. "Oh, these crab apples? I just picked them up at the local farmers market."
A Quote From A Book You Should Read:
"Why wasn't friendship as good as a relationship? Why wasn't it even better? It was two people who remained together, day after day, bound not by sex or physical attraction or money or children or property, but only by a shared agreement to keep going, the mutual dedication to a union that could never be codified"
-A Llittle Life by Hanya Yanagihara
This newsletter is best served with a side of conversation, so drop your opinions, reflections, and thoughts in the comments below and let’s get to talking.
Or, share the most thought-provoking piece from today’s edition with someone you love, then call them up to discuss, debate, and percolate. As a wise woman once said, “Great minds discuss ideas.”