Thread: Discouragements

Not that I'm telling anyone NOT to shave with a straight, it's a far more enjoyable way to shave. I'm more trying to assure anyone else who feels discouraged on occasion that they are not the only ones.

I've been shaving with a straight for a few months, and I still have problems under the nose and with the chin. I actually caught myself thinking that I wasn't getting any better with practice. I've been reading on tips and putting them into practice but it just didn't seem to be helping at all.

So I told myself to take a step back and actually see what was wrong. The answer was nothing, I am getting better and better shaves. The actual problem was my expectations from myself were increasing without my ever bothering to realise I had passed the ones I set before.

So I said stopped to think to myself, wasn't there a time when I thought "if only I could get my cheeks nice and smooth, I'll know I'm making progress"?
Yes there was, and I am.

It wasn't that long ago I was saying, "If only I could manage my jawline"?
Wait, I can.

Can't have been so long ago I was saying "If only I didn't keep nicking my chin?"
I don't.

If you've been straight shaving for a few months, and start to feel frustrated, I suggest you look back and realise how much you HAVE learned. You may realise you are getting better and failing to realise.

It's said constantly on this forum, and it's true even if it's hard to see when the frustration bug is biting "It just keeps getting better."