Month To Master

I’ve never been one for New Year’s Resolutions.

Sticking to a task for a whole year is such a commitment, and I hate to make promises I can’t keep. When I found Max Deutsch’s Month to Master challenge on medium.com, I knew then and there that I had to do it myself—but with my own twist. 

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The basic premise of M2M is simple: devote one month to developing an expert-level skill. Max challenged himself with landing a standing backflip, holding a 30-minute conversation in Hebrew, and even building a self-driving car.

I’m ambitious, but that’s a bit much for me. My list, while tamer, has already proven to be no joke; and by the time you’re reading this article, I’ll likely be halfway done!

Here’s what I’ve got:

• January: Learn a one-minute dance routine in full.

• February: Memorize a book of the Bible.

• March: Play a 2-3-minute song (well) on the guitar.

• April: Do a cartwheel, a split, and a front flip.

• May: Learn to juggle. 

• June: Make an entire outfit from scratch.

• July: Hold a 30-minute conversation in Spanish.

• August: Paint a realistic self-portrait.

• September: Deadlift my own weight.

• October: Develop perfect pitch (identify 20 random musical notes in a row).

• November: Code something.

• December: Beat a Grand Master at chess.

I’m the first to admit that I have an obsessive personality. I tend to fixate on things easily, and I’m known to spend hours immersing myself in learning something new, only to never try it again. 

In completing these challenges, I’m hopeful that I’ll break my habit instead of enabling it. I know it seems backward, but I’ve strategically picked skills that I’m really fascinated by, interested in, and want to keep up over time in the hopes that I’ll do just that.

Here’s the thing: I want to fail. I want to push myself to my limit and realize that I can’t master—really master—12 things in a year. I’m confident in myself, don’t get me wrong, but part of this experiment is about knowing my limits. 

I know I’ll master some (my dance routine is, in my opinion, flawless), but it’s a bit unrealistic to think that a girl who’s never competed in chess can beat a Grand Master in 31 days. I’m not afraid to fail. I’ll of course be disappointed in myself if I can’t finish the challenge, but I’m thinking that the perspective I’ll have in December will be invaluable to me as I try to combat the way I obsess over things. 

I’m also hopeful that I’m not alone in this whirlwind personality thing. Most of my friends are disciplined and easygoing, and they don’t latch on to quick passions the way I do. I know I was inspired by Max’s challenge, and I wish for somebody else out there to take this experience of mine and use it as fuel for their own fire.

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There you have it! 12 impossible tasks for an impossibly stubborn girl. I’m excited to teach myself something about perseverance and discipline through this year, and I’m hopeful to see how many skills I pick up along the way. Who knows, by the end of the year, I might be the most talented woman alive—but I probably won’t be. And guess what? I’m more than okay with that.

Be well, Auburn.

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Photography: Hannah S.