30 Things I Suck At
30 Things I Suck At
Random Observation/Comment #618: You can’t be good at everything
Why this list?
Own up to what you suck at and be your own worst critic. I was inspired to write this list from a coworker who embraces constructive criticism and learns from what she didn’t even know was a weakness. Some of these were easy to write, and many of these are hard to accept.
I suck at…
Putting on sunscreen – My wife knows this very well. It’s not that I’m not disciplined, I just don’t know why I don’t like to do it.
Saying “no” to “just one more game” when playing table tennis at Spin – Always just one more game.
Prioritizing sleep over fun – This might just be a bad habit from my 20s, but especially when fun times happen less frequently, I tend to work hard and play hard.
Apologizing when I think I’m right – It’s so easy to be confident and argue righteousness, but sometimes I’m wrong and it takes a lot to admit it.
Being the bad cop with Evie – I generally cave with everything she asks because she’s a daddy’s girl and I’m a sucker.
Trading stocks and crypto – Likely related to my bad luck in gambling in general. Buy high, sell low, amirite?
Staying satisfied with big purchases – I often have buyers remorse even after doing timely research. “What if I waited longer” seems to be a recurring thought. This also means I hate making purchases over $1000.
Saying “no” to free drink – I’m a highly functional borderline alcoholic. If I were living in any other city, I’d totally be an alcoholic.
Sustained eye contact when I describe something technical – The wandering eye happens all the time when I think.
Answering questions without giving context – I don’t know what happens when I pull for a stream of consciousness. Sometimes I need to reel it back to the topic.
Lying – I have an awful game face and anyone who knows me knows when I’m just making things up.
Delegating work for things I know I can do quickly – I’m good at delegating larger tasks with its own freedom and broader deliverables, but sometimes I’d just do work quickly rather than spending the time teaching others.
Receiving a compliment – I’ve tried to work on an initial “thank you” but my imposter syndrome thinks about a lot of other things. Just winds up being an embarrassed mumble.
Cuddling for the whole night – I don’t know if this is a thing with anyone else, but my arm falls asleep and I run hot.
Finishing projects / Definitions of done – I take them pretty far, but when is a project over? I want to close it, but there’s always more ideas.
Making decisions for other people – I don’t tend to be empathetic with their perspective and just decide based on facts, which is not always the right thing to do.
Explaining TV series without spoilers – Just don’t ask me what the show is about because I may give away key parts of it.
Legible handwriting in notes – I think my handwriting has just devolved to scribbling shorthand.
Caring about other people’s judgment on things like fashion – It might be because I’m married with a toddler, but I think I’ve gone beyond looking good.
Haggling – I know all the techniques, but I’m one of the worst hagglers.
Staying off my phone – Even after turning off all my notifications I get addicted to removing red notification bubbles.
Clearing old notes – Finish one task and add 3 more. Seems about right. I need a day to just clean out all my pinned items.
Revisiting old projects – There are a lot more examples of starting new projects than revisiting good examples.
Staying on top of Duolingo – Even though I love the green owl and the experience of practicing, I don’t know why I don’t stay motivated to get streaks. Maybe language practice is just hard.
Remembering to stay hydrated – I had implemented a few reminders with built in breaks or marks on water bottles, but I wish I actively drank more water.
Limiting caffeine (lately) – Work is challenging and Evie wakes me up way too early. I think this means I need a vacation.
Oversharing and recognizing cultural norms – I actively try to cut through normal conversation. I like digging into weird topics rather than just saying “I’m doing good.”
Choosing healthy foods over delicious foods – Mashed potatoes and carbs beats salad any day.
Baking – I think I cook to taste rather than measure.
Not making slides – By default, I make a deck. I even made a deck for my wife about our life. It was pretty awesome.
~ See Lemons Suck at Stuff
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Originally published on seelemons.com