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Nobody Special · August 31 · 3 min

Things I'm Bad At

A cheerful, honest inventory of everything I'm deliberately terrible at — and why that might be the smartest thing I do. Golf. A clean house. Singing. I'm genuinely, measurably bad at all of them — and I've stopped trying to fix it, on purpose. This is the case for being cheerfully, deliberately mediocre at the things that don't matter, so you've got everything left for the things that do. Plus the one "flaw" the world keeps telling you to fix that might just be the truest part of you. In this episode: Why trying to be excellent at everything just leaves you exhausted and spread thin Three things I'm happily terrible at (and sing anyway) The "weakness" that's actually a strength — and what deliberate mediocrity is really protecting Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: a confession — the things I'm bad at 00:36 The pressure to be excellent at everything 01:18 The list: golf, a messy house, singing 02:24 The one I won't apologize for 03:13 Your assignment: pick something and just stop Enjoying the show? Follow Nobody Special wherever you're listening, so the next one turns up on its own. Links: Episode 02 — The Go-Kart Next episode — Episode 04: "You Are Not the Average of the Five People You Spend Time With" Connect on Instagram @thenobodyspecialshow

0:00-3:50
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A cheerful, honest inventory of everything I'm deliberately terrible at — and why that might be the smartest thing I do.

Golf. A clean house. Singing. I'm genuinely, measurably bad at all of them — and I've stopped trying to fix it, on purpose. This is the case for being cheerfully, deliberately mediocre at the things that don't matter, so you've got everything left for the things that do. Plus the one "flaw" the world keeps telling you to fix that might just be the truest part of you.

In this episode:

  • Why trying to be excellent at everything just leaves you exhausted and spread thin
  • Three things I'm happily terrible at (and sing anyway)
  • The "weakness" that's actually a strength — and what deliberate mediocrity is really protecting

Chapters:

00:00 Cold open: a confession — the things I'm bad at

00:36 The pressure to be excellent at everything

01:18 The list: golf, a messy house, singing

02:24 The one I won't apologize for

03:13 Your assignment: pick something and just stop

Enjoying the show? Follow Nobody Special wherever you're listening, so the next one turns up on its own.

Links:

  • Episode 02 — The Go-Kart
  • Next episode — Episode 04: "You Are Not the Average of the Five People You Spend Time With"

Connect on Instagram @thenobodyspecialshow

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