{"id":203,"date":"2026-09-04T11:11:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T18:11:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/?p=203"},"modified":"2026-09-04T11:11:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T18:11:58","slug":"i-passed-improv-but-apparently-im-still-taking-basic-life-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/?p=203","title":{"rendered":"I Passed Improv\u2026 But Apparently I\u2019m Still Taking Basic Life Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Screenshot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Have you ever tried to save yourself twenty minutes and somehow lost three hours?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever known exactly what you should<\/em> do, decided not to do it, and then acted shocked when everything went wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever looked at a problem and thought, \u201cI\u2019m sure someone can fix that later,\u201d only to discover that \u201csomeone\u201d is apparently you\u2014with a credit card?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because welcome to my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have some great news: I passed my Basic improv class!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m genuinely proud of myself. I worked hard, learned a lot, embarrassed myself repeatedly in front of strangers\u2014which, apparently, is called \u201ctraining\u201d\u2014and I passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s the funny part: even though I passed Basic, I\u2019m seriously considering taking another Basic class before moving on to Intermediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I\u2019ve heard Intermediate is much harder. The expectations are higher, the instructors are stricter, and I don\u2019t want to move up just because technically I can<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want to move up because I\u2019m actually ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that realization made me think about something much bigger than improv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe I need to start living the rest of my life that way too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I have a terrible habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I half-ass things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There. I said it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not everything. There are things I work incredibly hard at. But when I\u2019m busy, overwhelmed, tired, or just don\u2019t feel like dealing with something, I have this magical ability to convince myself that the shortcut is actually the smart solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My brain becomes a motivational speaker for bad decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChristy, don\u2019t redo it. It\u2019ll probably be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChristy, somebody can fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChristy, you\u2019re saving time!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Future Christy is standing in the distance screaming:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYOU DUMB BITCH, TURN AROUND!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, Present Christy cannot hear her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me give you the latest example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been having sound problems with my home recording equipment. I was recording sermons, and when I listened back to one of them, there was noticeable white noise in the background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, there were two options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option A: Stop. Figure out what was causing the sound problem. Fix it. Then rerecord the sermon properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option B: Say, \u201cEh, the editor can probably fix it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guess which one my lazy ass chose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Option B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why solve the problem when you can send the problem to someone else and attach an invoice to it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I sent the sermon to my editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He edited the entire video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And guess what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The noise was still there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was so bad that I couldn\u2019t use the sermon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I had a professionally edited video that I couldn\u2019t post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, I paid to have my mistake professionally polished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You would think I learned my lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You clearly don\u2019t know me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I recorded another sermon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, the white noise wasn\u2019t as bad. It was quieter, but I could still hear it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And somewhere inside my head, a tiny responsible adult whispered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cChristy, just rerecord it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShut up. We\u2019re trying shortcuts again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this time I thought I was being smarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I specifically asked my editor if the white noise could be removed. I told him that if it couldn\u2019t be fixed, I would just rerecord the sermon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He told me it was fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fantastic!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My shortcut had been approved!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I practically wanted to throw myself a parade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I listened to the completed edit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

White noise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started freaking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I\u2019ve paid to have TWO videos edited that I can\u2019t use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point the white noise isn\u2019t even the most annoying sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most annoying sound is my bank account whispering:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBitch, I told you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here\u2019s the uncomfortable part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I asked if the sound could be fixed. Yes, I was told it could be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I also knew I heard the noise before I sent the recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew there was a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I knew the safest thing was to figure out my equipment and rerecord it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I didn\u2019t want to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was tired. I was busy. I had already recorded the sermon. I didn\u2019t want to set everything up again and repeat something I\u2019d already done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I hoped someone else could rescue me from having to redo my own work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And my shortcut ended up costing me more time AND more money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the part that frustrates me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because this isn\u2019t the first time I\u2019ve done something like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find loopholes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I rush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tell myself, \u201cGood enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then I end up doing the same thing twice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently, I don\u2019t cut corners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I take the corner, drive completely around the block, get lost, pay for parking, and eventually return to the exact same fucking corner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Efficiency!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And lately I\u2019ve been getting really angry with myself about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since my husband went to prison, I\u2019ve had to take responsibility for so many things I wasn\u2019t used to handling on my own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are days when I feel like responsibilities are falling from the sky and I\u2019m running underneath them with a tiny umbrella.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scheduling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things breaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Things needing to be fixed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People needing answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And sometimes I become so overwhelmed that instead of slowing down and doing something properly, I rush because I desperately want one more thing off my plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then rushing creates another problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And suddenly the thing I wanted off my plate comes back with side dishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when the really ugly thoughts start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m stupid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy do I keep doing this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow could I make that decision?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There have been moments when I\u2019ve genuinely thought, I\u2019ve never felt this stupid in my entire life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I hate feeling that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I\u2019m starting to realize something important:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calling myself stupid isn\u2019t actually teaching me anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If beating myself up made me smarter, I\u2019d be a fucking genius by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I need isn\u2019t another insult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I need a higher standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone recently gave me advice that really stuck with me: level up your standard.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because whatever standard you tolerate becomes normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I tell myself, \u201cThat\u2019s good enough,\u201d then good enough becomes my standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I tell myself, \u201cI\u2019ll fix it later,\u201d then fixing things twice becomes normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If I tell myself, \u201cHopefully it\u2019ll work,\u201d I\u2019m basically creating a business strategy based on thoughts and prayers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And listen, I believe in prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Jesus is probably looking down like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI gave you ears. You heard the white noise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe excellence isn\u2019t doing everything perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe excellence is refusing to knowingly hand tomorrow\u2019s version of yourself a problem because today\u2019s version of yourself doesn\u2019t feel like dealing with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what I\u2019m trying to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And ironically, passing Basic improv helped me see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I technically can<\/em> move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I\u2019m choosing to ask a better question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Am I prepared?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the standard I want to bring into the rest of my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan I get away with this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill somebody else fix it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs this technically good enough?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs this the best I can reasonably do?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when the answer is no, I want to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fix the sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redo the sermon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take the class again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn the skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spend an extra hour today instead of wasting five hours tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m probably going to mess this up again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually, let\u2019s not say probably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will absolutely be another moment when I look at something that needs to be done correctly and my brain says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOrrrrrrr\u2026 hear me out\u2026 shortcut?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I\u2019m learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes I learn the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes I learn the second time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes God apparently has to put the lesson on fucking repeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And maybe that\u2019s part of growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lesson I\u2019m taking from all of this is that growth isn\u2019t proving that you\u2019re already good enough. Growth is becoming willing to raise your standards when you realize you\u2019re capable of better.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You don\u2019t have to hate yourself for the decisions you made yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take responsibility for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then make tomorrow\u2019s decision differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If doing something correctly takes another hour, take the hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not ready for the next level, practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you made a mistake, own it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you hear white noise in your recording\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON\u2019T SEND IT TO THE EDITOR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Redo the damn sermon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m learning that lesson now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It may have cost me two editing bills, but hopefully I\u2019m finally getting my money\u2019s worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bear with me on this journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have a lot I\u2019m working on. I mess up\u2014a lot. Sometimes it takes me several attempts to learn the same lesson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I keep getting back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe that\u2019s the real standard I want to live by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not never making stupid decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But refusing to stay the same after they happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember you are my lovers, whether you love me or love to hate me you are still my lover!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t forget Jesus loves you and so do I!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever tried to save yourself twenty minutes and somehow lost three hours? Have you ever known exactly what you should do, decided not to do it, and then acted shocked when everything went wrong? Have you ever looked at a problem and thought, \u201cI\u2019m sure someone can fix that later,\u201d only to discover […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diary","category-feature-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=203"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203\/revisions\/207"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/onlychristy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}