Giving up, missing...or not?

[Noodley]

The recent thread re Humphrey Lyttleton's death brought back memories for me as I used to be quite "into" jazz and could play a bit (no seriously, I could ). I also played an array of sports, although never to an elite level. Since I gave them up I do not miss them at all.

But, I do miss some other things I used to do at a significantly lesser level.

Is there a time to move on? Does it need one to have achieved the "desired" level and be comfortable enough to move on and try something else?

 

[Horace Goes Skiing]

Some people (like me) thrive on the learning phase of any hobby or sport. Once you've achieved a certain level, the improvements are small and nowhere near as exciting as the first leaps and bounds. That's when it's time to move on or set yourself a new challenge...

 

[purpleR]

I'd agree with Horace. I learned to drive last year and absolutely loved learning a new skill - hadn't learned anything totally new like that in years. On the back of that, I've decided to take up the trombone, and I'm considering learning to play fiddle - strathspey & reel society or something (I can play a viola so hoping it won't be too much of a stretch). Those first moments of feeling like you're 'getting it' are magic.

 

[surfgurl]

I haven't really found anything I am good at yet. I have done lots of different stuff, musical instruments, singing, acting, writing, various sports etc. I can do lots of things at a basic level, but nothing I can say I am good at.
I remember as a kid going to various after school clubs and activities, each of which I would stick with for several months and then move onto something new. I never felt I was good at anything. Mum always said I would one day find the thing I am good at. Mum, when will that day be?

 

[Noodley]

I haven't really found anything I am good at yet. I have done lots of different stuff, musical instruments, singing, acting, writing, various sports etc. I can do lots of things at a basic level, but nothing I can say I am good at.
I remember as a kid going to various after school clubs and activities, each of which I would stick with for several months and then move onto something new. I never felt I was good at anything. Mum always said I would one day find the thing I am good at. Mum, when will that day be?

But it's not about "being good" - it's a level one sets. I was "good" at some stuff but did not care about it, whereas I did care about stuff I was not "good" at..

The same apples now - last year I set targets for my cycling, this year I am not too bothered as I achieved the targets (and this year the "targets" are "normal" and no longer a challenge). Is it a "nothing to prove" mentality? And then "comfortable" with oneself....

 

[Dave5N]

Bloody hell, I didn,t know he had died.

I,ll miss him.


(sorry about the commas. For some reason the apostrophe button just brings up a hithertoundiscovered "quickfind" dialogue.)

 

[goo_mason]

Bloody hell, I didn,t know he had died.

I,ll miss him.


(sorry about the commas. For some reason the apostrophe button just brings up a hithertoundiscovered "quickfind" dialogue.)

Me neither - I'd heard on R4 the other night that he was going into hospital and that they'd cancelled the new series of ISIHAC until he was better. I'll really miss his droll and fed-up-sounding innuendo, and his Samantha lines. RIP Humph.

(oh, and isn't that Firefox quickfind thing annoying ? Happened to me out of the blue six months ago and reoccurs frequently, despite having changed all of the settings in about:config to keep it switched off)

 

[Keith Oates]

The recent thread re Humphrey Lyttleton's death brought back memories for me as I used to be quite "into" jazz and could play a bit (no seriously, I could ). I also played an array of sports, although never to an elite level. Since I gave them up I do not miss them at all.

But, I do miss some other things I used to do at a significantly lesser level.

Is there a time to move on? Does it need one to have achieved the "desired" level and be comfortable enough to move on and try something else?[/QUOTE]

I think the time to move on is not at what level you've achieved but when the interest you had has drained. There are several things that I was once very interested in but then the interest went and now I never even think about them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I never really give things up, I just have loads of hobbies (usually expensive - photography, cycling, playing the guitar) which I sort of rotate.

 

[gambatte]

I never really give things up, I just have loads of hobbies (usually expensive - photography, cycling, playing the guitar) which I sort of rotate.

Boys never grow out of toys, they just get bigger and more expensive.

I find I'll do things for a couple of years and move on. But I do 'revisit'.
Mine have been. Martial arts, climbing, white water kayaking.

However cyclings more than a hobby. Its how I sometimes get to work, save a bit of cash and maintain a level of fitness so I can run about with the kids.

 

[beanzontoast]

There's a point in any skill (hobby/sport/work whatever) when, unless you have a natural aptitude for it, you get as good as you're going to and often that's far short of to the level those with that natural aptitude can reach. Then is when you find out if you are the sort of person who can enjoy and be content with doing something at that fixed level of performance and be happy with it, or whether you are the kind who loses interest or gets frustrated and really needs the buzz of starting again with a new skill.

In my case, I would have loved to be more musical and have dabbled (over several years study) with learning a couple of instruments, but I'm not a 'natural'. I'm a 'mover on' - quite often I sell the equipment from an old hobby to fund starting something new.

 

[Dayvo]

I played both cricket and rugby to a reasonably high standard; I stopped due to moving to Sweden where the interest and facilities weren't too great. I miss cricket very much, but rugby not at all.
Cycling occupies too much of my thinking and not enough of my time.
I enjoy playing golf but don't have ambition of becoming more than just an average hacker.
I have six musical instruments and can play, er, none of them! With time, though, I hope to learn.

Given the choice, though, I would just like to get on my bike and ride somewhere different all day; every day Except for a rest day every six days, or when it was wet and windy!

 

[yello]

I think Keith said it, it's time to move on when you no longer enjoy something. Loss of enjoyment could come, I guess, because you don't achieve the level of ability that you'd like.

Effort and aptitude are 2 things that interest me. I know people that are just naturally good at stuff, they don't seem to have to work at it. Be it languages, music, cycling, whatever. Their brains/bodies just seem built that way. Others have to work bloody hard to get to those same levels. Two ways of getting to the same place, neither one better than the other nor more or less enjoyable than the other. People pack stuff in when they're naturally really good at it, others pack in when the going gets tough. There are no rules, just what you want and you enjoy and you decide.