From the archive

Self-improvement as a way to do nothing

The best part is that you can repeat this forever. There's always another tool. Another book recommended by someone with a more expensive microphone. Another foundation you supposedly need before it's safe to move on to practice. The foundation is already the size of an airport. Still no house. You can spend hours explaining why beginners get things wrong. You just haven't let yourself become a beginner yet. After all those months of intellectual investment, being an ordinary person who's bad at something feels far too unpleasant.