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You know that old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” Do you ever feel like it sort of applies to you now that you’re a mom with grown up bills and a house to take care of and humans who literally depend on you to live?
I’ll admit I’ve definitely had that thought a time or two since my days as a twenty-something (and yikes—even a thirty-something) are over. And yet, I long to learn new things.
One of my personal goals this year is to learn how to play chess. Or, more accurately, re-learn. It’s a game I grew up playing sporadically when I’d visit my grandfather in South America, and one my dad and sister play well. Chess has been around forever—it’s one of the oldest games in the world—and teaches you the skills of strategic and critical thinking. It requires you to be completely present with your opponent as you play. That’s one of the things I love most about it.
And I’ll admit, The Queen’s Gambit definitely had something to do with my renewed interest in the game.
Along the way, however, I’ve forgotten a lot of the rules. So I decided this year that I’d pick it up again and re-teach myself. Lofty, right? I mean, it sounded good, but then I became paralyzed by the how of it.
“Who can teach me?”
“Are there resources online?”
“What’s the first step in learning?”
I almost didn’t even start, but then I recalled that my dad had bought a chess set for my kiddos and, along with it, a children’s book on how to play.
So I started there. With a children’s book. It breaks the game down into easy-to-understand concepts intended to be consumed by a ten-year-old, and as it turns out, is a marvelous way for a crazy busy, not-twenty-and-not-even-thirty-anymore working mom of two to learn as well.
And let me tell you, girlfriend—it worked!
That got me thinking. Maybe learning something new by consuming the kid version first could be a thing. Why not?
By necessity, the kid version won’t be complicated. It will be straightforward, with examples that actually teach you the concept without trying to trick you, and will build slowly, one concept after another. Depending on the subject matter, the kid version might even gameify the learning process.
And did you ever notice that folks who started working on their craft when they were kids tend to be really good at them? Yes, they’ve been practicing for years. But I think there’s also a correlation there with the way they learned.
Exciting, right? Think of the possibilities! Sewing. Cake decorating. Scrapbooking. Cooking. Photography. Coding. Even sports.
After figuring out this new “kid trick,” I asked my tennis coach to teach me how to improve my game by doing drills with me that he does with my daughter. “I don’t care if it seems silly or pointless. I want to learn,” I told him. He took me up on it, and I held true to my word, doing the drills that seemed like they were too simple to actually be teaching me anything, until one day, I realized we had completely transformed my swing through a series of small, fundamental yet easy-to-implement changes.
You should see my forehand now, mama. It’s pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.
So if you think you’re an old dog who can’t learn new tricks, I say hogwash! After all, anyone can do anything. Why not you?
Try it out. Teach yourself something new, starting with a children’s guide. And while you’re at, let me know how it goes. I can’t wait to see what you create, girlfriend.
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