How to Suck Less in Just 1 Day

It’s possible to suck less in just one day.

You can grab your fear by the balls and shake the living hell out of them. Do something outside your comfort zone. Do something that you would never imagine someone like you would do. Surprise yourself. Dare to suck and to suck hard.

Get it. (Photo by Jay Weidenbach)

The idea is not only that we can broaden our horizons by trying something new or living in someone else’s shoes for a day, but that we might even change our opinions or even discover a new favorite hobby. There are lots of things to try in life, and you might be a natural talent at a few of them and never even know it because you’re too afraid to try for the very first time. Do something that you’re not looking forward to, that you haven’t done before, that scares you. Even if you suck at it, you’ll grow as a human and that’s pretty amazing. It will feel funny at first but you’ll live. And maybe actually even feel alive momentarily.

So I say screw sitting in your apartment or house or igloo and being safe and secure and knowing your limits. I say get out there and do something new for the sake of trying to be interesting, for the sake of having something to talk about in awkward social situations, and for having a story to tell people years from now.

There is something beautiful about daring to suck.  So if I may, allow me to assist you in how to properly execute a Lollipop Tuesday:

Step 1: Identify and event or task that makes you uncomfortable. Things can be uncomfortable to us for a variety of reasons: they’re new experiences, we don’t know exactly what to do or if we’ll enjoy it, we don’t know if we’ll be good at it… the list goes on. The task can be any length of time, but you should certainly have apprehension about it.

Step 2: Tell people you’re doing it. This isn’t absolutely necessary but as a seasoned veteran of doing scary, new things, it’s incredibly helpful to announce your intentions. It helps you get a support system, to learn more from other people who might have tried it, and makes you less likely to back out. And if you don’t want to tell anyone or you’re a hermity hermit like myself, you can always drop me a line so that you’ve put it out into the universe. 

Step 3: Do it. Do it hard. Do it as hard as you can. If you’re going to a show that makes you uncomfortable, sit in the front row. If you’re trying a new sport, be on the field/court/play area as much as possible. Don’t half ass it; half-assing is for the fearful.

Step 4: Tell Me How Awesome You Are. I would really love to add you to my little hall of fame. If you have a website and post about your experience, I’ll send folks there to read about your adventure. If you don’t have a website, I’m happy to just put your name and even a picture if you’d like. Either use this handy dandy contact form or just leave me a comment below.

Be a badass. Do something bold and add your name to the list. And if you need ideas, inspiration, or want some tips, just hit me up in the comments. Go get it.