We’re still in Fernie, BC, and last week, on a last-minute whim, we decided to go fly fishing. In October. Which, for anyone keeping score, is not exactly prime season.
It was cold. The kind of cold that makes you wonder if you’ve made a terrible decision while you’re still zipping up your jacket.
Our guide (who thought his season was over) gamely loaded up his boat and took two absolute beginners down the Elk River. We had nothing: no rods, no gear, no clue. He taught us everything from scratch - how to cast, how to mend the line, how to not hook ourselves.
Halfway through, a storm rolled in over the mountains, and we had to literally outrace it downstream in a drift boat with no motor, just oars. We made it, soaked and laughing, AND I caught my very first fish! I was over the moon with excitement.
Notice that no part of me was willing to physically handle the fish
The Beginner’s Mind
I do things I’m bad at pretty often. Not by design, I just think there’s something valuable about being a beginner again.
In Lean and Agile circles, there’s a Japanese framework called Shu-Ha-Ri that describes the stages of learning:
Shu (Obey): You follow the form. You don’t improvise; you just try to do it right.
Ha (Detach): You start adapting the form - experimenting, making it your own.
Ri (Transcend): You’ve internalized it so deeply you can innovate freely.
Fly fishing put me squarely in the Shu phase, obediently trying to copy the movements of the guide, flinging the line awkwardly, and celebrating if it landed in the ‘foam.’
At that stage, your ego gets replaced by curiosity. You’re not trying to prove anything, you’re just fascinated by how much there is to learn.
Why Being Bad at Something Is Good for You
As adults, we spend most of our time in the “Ha” or “Ri” phases - we know our routines, we stay in the comfort zone of things we’re already decent at. But the Shu phase is where the brain lights up.
When you try something completely new, you’re building new neural pathways. You’re forcing your brain to stay alert, adapt, and integrate sensory information. That’s neuroplasticity - the foundation of lifelong learning and resilience.
Being bad at something also shifts your emotional gears. You get to practice patience, laugh at yourself, and learn the art of trying again without taking it personally.
The Shu phase reminds you that growth doesn’t feel graceful. It feels clumsy, curious, and alive.
Five Ways to Practice Being Bad at Something
Here are a few small ways to re-enter the beginner’s phase:
Take a dance or movement class - the more awkward, the better. You’ll rediscover what learning with your body feels like.
Cook a cuisine you’ve never tried - no YouTube tutorials, just follow a recipe and see what happens.
Try drawing something from memory - badly. You’ll be amazed what details your brain fills in.
Do a craft that requires patience - pottery, knitting, woodworking. There’s nothing like watching a lopsided first attempt to humble you.
Go fly fishing! - I have been telling my husband I have ‘angler’s shoulder’ from all that casting- it’s hard work!
The Joy of Shu
Fly fishing was cold, required a ton of focus, was also weirdly relaxing and a whole day out on the river flew by. Being put in a situation where no one has any expectations of you is oddly freeing - you just have to try your best, learn, and have fun.
