The less skill you have, the less accurately you tend to judge what’s possible for you.

You see someone doing gymnastics, playing guitar or snowboarding and think, “That looks easy. Maybe I could do that.” Then you try to learn the basics and realize it is much harder than it looks. You promptly reassess and think, “I’ll never be able to get good at this.”

In both cases, we tend to overestimate our ability to judge. When you see someone perform at a high level, they make even very difficult skills look easy. It’s one of the signs of virtuosity. Combine this with a steep learning curve and it’s easy to get discouraged.

A more realistic view might be what you need to push on. Even the best in the world had to endure the grind of deliberate practice to get where they are now. Have fun and set small goals; making progress is a great motivator.

What skill would you learn if you knew you could get good at it?