Honestly, practicing this "know nothing" thing felt weird at first. Like, it’s kinda scary admitting you don’t know squat, right? I started simple. Woke up this morning, looked at my to-do list full of chores like "organize garage" and "fix leaky tap," and I paused. Normally I’d just dive in headfirst, assuming I got this. Today? Nah. I actually mumbled to myself, "Okay, maybe I don’t really know how to do this perfectly." Weirdly freeing.
My Morning Confusion Session
Brewed coffee – brain fuel. Sat down planning my day. Instead of charging forward, I forced myself to question everything. That podcast I listened to yesterday about efficient workspaces? Maybe organizing the garage isn't just chucking junk. I genuinely had no clue where to start. So, I grabbed a notebook – an actual paper one – and wrote down every dumb question popping into my head:
- Where does the junk even go? Trash, donate, keep? How do I decide?
- What tools do I need? Or am I gonna waste time looking for stuff I don't even have?
- Why am I even doing this today? Seriously, what's the real priority?
- Is there a better way I don't know about?
Felt awkward staring at those questions. Realized I was planning blind. So I did something embarrassing: I texted my neighbor, Gary, who’s got a workshop cleaner than my kitchen. "Hey man, feeling clueless about garage sorting... any basic traps to avoid?" Gary’s reply? Gold. Apparently, starting without sorting bins is useless. Who knew?
The Grocery Store Reality Check
Headed out for groceries. Big crowd. Got annoyed at this slow lady blocking the cereal aisle. My brain instantly judged her – probably "didn't know how to shop properly." Then the "know nothing" thing hit me. How did I know her story? For all I knew, maybe she just lost her husband, or was sick. I took a breath, actually said "Sorry, excuse me," with a smile I had to force. Saw a tiny flash of relief on her face. Felt like an idiot for my initial jerk thought.
Later, picking apples. Used to just grab whatever looked red. Today? Paused. Realized I actually don’t know the difference between Gala and Fuji. Spent 2 whole minutes reading the little signs, even sniffed a couple like a weirdo. The knowledge wasn’t huge, but admitting ignorance stopped me from grabbing bad apples. Literally.
Afternoon Garage Battle (Emphasis on Battle)
Finally faced the garage. Armed with Gary's bin advice. Still overwhelming. Started sorting: obvious trash first. Then tools. Pulled out a weird spiky wrench thingy. Absolutely zero idea what it was for. Old me would've tossed it angrily. Today? I took a pic. Texted it to my brother-in-law, the mechanic. His immediate reply: "DON'T toss that! It's for X. Rarely needed, but life-saver when you do." Saved me needing to buy one later. Because I admitted I was clueless.
The process was messy. Stuff piled everywhere. Found crap I didn't remember owning. Kept muttering, "I know nothing" like some cheap philosophy robot. But by questioning everything ("Is this really useful?"), and letting myself be a beginner, I made actual progress. Finished one corner. One small, organized corner. Better than yesterday's chaos.
Winding Down & Weird Realizations
Sipping cheap wine now. Tired. Reflecting. "Knowing nothing" felt like weakness this morning. Tonight? Feels more like putting down a heavy backpack full of rocks labelled "I Must Know Everything." Not all the time, just… spotting when pretending to know blocks me. Like when I assumed the garage organization. Or judged the lady. Or ignored the fruit facts.
Key things I kinda figured out by embracing ignorance today:
- Asking "dumb" questions saves massive effort later. Saved the wrench.
- Admitting "I don't know" stops stupid assumptions. Stopped the apple disaster.
- Stopping the instant judgment makes interactions easier. Felt better not being annoyed.
It’s not about being stupid. It’s about noticing that moment when you're acting like you know everything... and choosing to pause. That pause? That’s where the real learning sneaks in. Gonna try it again tomorrow. Maybe quieter.
