Ice Skating

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90 days ago as part of one of my 'Fun' goals to achieve in this quarter I said I wanted to have a go at Ice Skating.  
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Not once before had I tried it in my life.

Today I hit my target.

But after the first 10 minutes on the ice I was tapping out.

I couldn't move forward, I couldn't move away from holding onto the side. 

I was finished. 

After standing at the side for a few minutes and after a good few  deep breaths I quickly threw that 'finished' story out of my head. 

Back on the ice, I was re-focussed. 

What I hadn't realised before was that I had about a hundred teachers all around me.

I stood and watched, I took in how they moved on the ice, how they balanced.

I stood and watched how they flicked their feet and the motions they made.

Ok, lets go again then I said to myself.

Slowly and uneasily...I managed to move forward and I moved away from the side.

Around and around the rink I went.

I stopped at times, I rested, I looked at others again to learn more.

I was now moving faster, I was feeling more comfortable - it also helped that I had tightened my boots.  

Around and around the rink I went......thud.

The more comfortable I felt with the level I was at the faster I pushed myself.

But this created a new challenge - it was now time to fall down.

As my confidence grew, I wanted to expand, I wanted to move faster, I wanted to be more graceful.

But that brings with it new challenges.

Thud, Thud, Thud....it's bloody sore falling on hard ice, that's something else I've learned as well today.

90 minutes later, sweating (how can that be in an ice rink) I was skating and still falling over but where I had came from to where I was now in the space of 90 minutes was massive.

From, wanting to quit after 10 minutes, to simply changing the story in my head that ice skating was too difficult and I couldnt do it, to watching and learning from others around me.

From falling down, bruised and sore, I got back up and tried and tried again.

Dancing on Ice is a long way off, infact skating for more than 2 minutes without falling on my arse will still take many more hours to achieve. 

But funny how the above is just like all the things we achieve in life.

From fear and dread to begin with, to taking small steps, making mistakes and learning from those mistakes to eventual improvement and success as long as we persevere and put in the hard work. 

I dread to think what my next 90 day 'fun' goal will be.

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