Being a Beginner Again – with Two Left Feet?

I have two left feet. Which makes it rather cheeky of me to suggest dancing to other people.

And yet, in almost every Life Planning meeting, I ask the same question: “So, which one will it be? Dance, a new language or a musical instrument?” And every single time the reaction is the same – eyebrows rise, faces scrunch up, and nervous laughter.

I understand completely. After spending so many years becoming good at what we do, who really wants to go back to being a beginner? We’ve built careers, raised families, made decisions, and gathered a lifetime of experience. We know what we’re good at; where we feel comfortable. And then someone like me comes along and suggests you learn to dance!

It’s uncomfortable to find yourself unable to master a few dance steps when you’ve spent years knowing the answers. And it’s one thing to say, “I can’t dance,” but quite another to decide, “I’m too old to learn.”

What We Believe About Ageing

Dr Becca Levy, a Yale researcher and author of Breaking the Age Code, has spent years studying how our beliefs about ageing influence our health and wellbeing. In one study involving 660 people over 50, those with more positive views of their own ageing lived, on average, 7.5 years longer than those with more negative views. Seven and a half years! That’s quite a finding.

Of course, it doesn’t mean we can simply think ourselves into living longer. But Levy’s research gives us a good reason to question some of the assumptions we make about getting older. And the encouraging part is that our age beliefs can change.

The Joy of Getting It Wrong

What I love about learning something new is that, for once, we can be beginners again. Nobody expects us to know what we’re doing, and that can be quite refreshing!

Imagine getting the steps wrong, forgetting the words in a new language or playing a note that sounds absolutely dreadful. You might feel silly. You might laugh at yourself. And then, one day, you manage something you couldn’t do the week before.

There’s a lovely freedom in doing something without having to be particularly good at it.

Something Worth Thinking About

Chartered client John Arnesen writes about something I think many of us can relate to in his article in this month’s Inflight. We can be busy from morning to night and still feel mentally empty. I love the way he puts it: “Activities occupy our time. Ideas occupy our minds.”

John also joined Michael Avery and me on Life Chapters, Money Choices, where we spoke about what happens when work no longer defines so much of who we are. I think you’ll enjoy reading his article and listening to our conversation.

So, let me ask you again. Dance, a new language or a musical instrument?

And if none of those appeals to you, what have you always wanted to learn, but never quite dared to try?

As for me, I still have two left feet. But perhaps that’s a perfectly good place to start.