Is it normal to NEVER improve at ANYTHING no matter how hard you try?

[Anonymous]

TL;DR I basically always suck at EVERYTHING no matter how hard I try or how much I practice. Like even with a professional tutor helping me and everything I just still don't improve at anything anyway.

The title says it... I ask because that's basically how it is for me. It's not just my personal insecurity either. People in my life (whether it be friends, family, acquaintances, and even random strangers) have literally told me: "Wow... how can someone practice consistently for such a long time and show absolutely ZERO improvement?"

And this applies to ANYTHING in general really... any skill or activity or hobby really. From drawing to writing to singing to playing video games to swimming to cooking to board games and/or card games to sports in general to school grades to working at a job, etc... just anything in general really, like previously stated.

Like take drawing for example... I've been drawing since I was 6 years old in kindergarten, and today I'm 22 years old... my drawings at age 22 LITERALLY look the same as the drawings I made at age 6, absolutely ZERO improvement... when I showed people they were like: "I seriously can't tell the difference between your childhood drawings and your current drawings." And I've been practicing regularly over all those years too. Like at least a couple of drawings every week.

Or video games... even video games I have played since I was a small child, I get beaten by little kids or grandparents who are just picking up the video game for the first time and don't even have a grasp on the controls... and I mean LITERALLY...

For the record I haven't had a professional diagnosis for anything yet...

They say "practice makes perfect" but I don't think practice makes a goddamn difference if you're practicing a lot but practicing in the WRONG way... which I seem to be doing. Problem is even with people giving me tips on how to "practice correctly" or even with tutors helping me, I still show ZERO improvement anyway...

[guywholikestoeatout]

That doesn’t seem “normal” yet at the same time everyone’s brains are wired differently so that could be considered normal in a sense. If I was to guess, it’s purely just the fact you’re different. There are tons of things I’ve practiced at and never get better, but there things I get good at fast as if I have been doing it always. So maybe it’s just, yeah, some things just don’t click with your brains wiring. But that can also mean you simply haven’t found the thing you could absolutely be great at. That’s just my thoughts on it.

[stark04]

It's all in your head. Get a boring job, get paycheck every month and have a normal simple life. I don't see any problem with you, you're just like most of us.

I don't do anything exciting or extraordinary either. What I do is go to work, do my job, get paid, watch movies, eat out in restaurants, go on vacation, read books, spend time with loved ones, enjoy my life peacefully. I'm not worried that I can't sing, act, play video games, draw/paint, write a book, play basketball, football, hockey, baseball. I'm a boring person. Be boring and have peaceful life instead of worrying.

[IslaTheWitch]

In general, if something consistently doesn't work, change the method. If you do things the same way always, you can't expect different results.

There are many different methods of learning. If one doesn't work, try another. Manipulate the time you learn (early bird vs owl), number of breaks, physical exercises, time spent outside, supplementation... Many factors to change and try.

[TheSpaceGnome]

No, thats not normal.
Most people can improve at skills with practice.
If you lack interest in something though, its normal to not be likely to retain it long enough to improve.

[Anonymous]

This made me cry 🥹

[Zestyassmf1997]

Not normal.

[Rangers]

That's how I am