38 years old, a service professional. Why I decided to enter the Skills Grand Prix
First of all, let me explain a little.
The "Skills Grand Prix" is a competition where craftspeople from all over the country compete using their "own skills."
Chefs, construction, hair and beauty, Japanese sewing, and "restaurant service" are all among them.
I am entering the "restaurant service" category, which is a competition where "the service techniques themselves" are tested, such as opening sparkling wine, decanting, filtering, decoupage, and crepe flambé.
...
...and that's the kind of competition it is.
(I'm going to be incredibly nervous.)
Now, here is the main point.
■ At 38, I suddenly paused
Having turned 38, I've become able to do my job to a certain extent, and I have a position as a person in charge.
I have a family, so I spend every day in a rush.
In the midst of that, recently I've started to think more often,
"Is it okay to keep working with this 'vague' feeling?"
I don't dislike my job. In fact, I love it.
However, I haven't had any time to "seriously face my skills" for a while.
■ Recently, I watched a few music-themed anime, and I became envious of the feeling of being obsessed with a single skill
There was a music-themed work I happened to watch late at night.
The sight of people practicing their instruments was impressive.
The feeling of frustration when you can't play a note
The plain, simple effort of repeating the same part over and over
The look on their faces the moment they get a little better
The feeling of the atmosphere changing when playing with others
Watching things like that, I thought,
"Oh, that's nice. I like this."
I should have had this kind of "passion" myself in the past, but before I knew it, I had become a bit too settled, or perhaps, to put it nicely, stable, and to put it badly, just "accustomed" to things.
...
■ The reason I decided to enter the Skills Grand Prix is simple
"I want to verify my skills."
"I want to be able to hold my head high for my customers."
"I think it's okay to be serious for a little bit."
Truly, that is all.
There is no grand reason.
But in my life, these kinds of "simple reasons"
are actually quite important.
■ Honestly, it's a bit scary to get serious
At 38, being a manager at work, having a family,
and not being in perfect health.
Starting to practice seriously amidst all that is a bit scary.
My weaknesses will be laid bare
I'll be overwhelmed by the amount of practice the younger contestants put in
I'll be confronted with the gap in our skills
I'll naturally feel down if I don't get results
But I thought, if it's scary, maybe I should do it.
The reason I've been avoiding it is ultimately that, too,
so I decided to face it once.
■ Honing skills feels more right for "myself"
than for "someone else"
Service might look like "work done for others," but
practicing skills is actually for myself as well.
I want to perform movements I can be satisfied with
I want to trust my own skills
I want to take responsibility for my own service
Skills exist to fulfill these feelings.
And when skills are refined, it ends up being for the customers as well.
■ The moment I decided to take on the challenge,
I felt like, "Well, let's give it a try"
Rather than a firm resolution,
it was more like a sense of relief.
"I'll do what I can"
"I feel there's meaning in the time I spend facing this, not just the results"
That's how I've been feeling lately.
■ So, as a 38-year-old service technician, I'm taking on the challenge
It's not a flashy challenge.
It's not something that will drastically change my life.
But it's certain that a small fire has been lit within me.
I want to polish my skills
I want to take responsibility for my own actions once again
I want to try being serious
With those feelings, I decided to enter the Skills Grand Prix.
I don't know what the result will be, but
I think I'll leave a record of this challenge on note.
A 38-year-old's chronicle of a challenge.
It starts here.