In one of my newer challenge groups this week, one of the gals in the group was having a really tough day. Things were hard. She was struggling. It was the third day of trying to make this huge life change, and she really felt like quitting. She wanted to throw in the towel and just give up.
I have to admit, it was really beautiful to see others in the group quickly jump in to encourage her and help to lift her spirit. To help give her the strength she needed to make it through that day, and then show up again the next. This was a huge battle won for this lady… and I am so proud of her!
One of the biggest fears we have is the fear of failing. The fear that we just can’t do it. We don’t have what it takes. And trust me… sometimes it’s simply a lot easier to quit, before we actually prove ourselves right… right?
Something we learn when we jump off that cliff and go for that big change we want in life, or start to pursue our big dream, is that failure is a HUGE part of that. We have to be WILLING to fail. We have to know that success comes THROUGH failure.
When we try to chase a dream or radically change our lives, and have this strong belief that it will happen overnight, and we can do it without failure, we’re actually setting ourselves up for the biggest failure of all. Quitting.
Do you want to experience the dream? The big change? Then we have to EMBRACE failure. We have to know that big change comes with many failures. Trust me… this message is coming from a perfectionist so I get how difficult that is!
Yes… I HATE to fail. When I first started taking my health and fitness into my own hands, I failed over and over again. I’d go to a party and eat too much. The weekend would hit and all hell would break loose. It was like letting a baby go haywire in a candy store. Some days, reaching my goal just seemed completely and totally impossible!
The reason why I finally reached my big health and fitness goal is because I kept getting back up each time I failed. And the failures came smaller and smaller with time.
I’ve experienced the same thing in my business. I have wasted so much time trying to be perfect, that while I’ve conquered small things… like getting a perfect design accomplished(using twice the necessary time it should have taken so it would be perfect)... I’ve failed at larger areas. Because I spent so much time perfecting the design ad, I didn’t get it out there in time and lost a larger audience.
What it comes down to is this… we can spend a TON of time trying to do everything perfectly. Trying hard to never mess up, and then getting angry with ourselves when we do and end up giving up, or we can let go of the idea of being perfect, focus on progress, and keep pushing forward in spite of spelling errors, imperfect graphics, and long weekends off the wagon.
Perfection is a dream killer. Are you a perfectionist? Then write this down and put it somewhere where you’ll see it every day.
PERFECTION IS A DREAM KILLER.
Do you want to succeed? Then remember this…
WHEN YOU FALL DOWN. GET BACK UP AND CARRY ON.
That’s it! Those who experience the dream are those who don’t quit. Those who keep trying. Those who NEVER GIVE UP. It’s about progress, NOT perfection.
So stop telling yourself that you have to be perfect. Be kind to yourself. Realize that you’re human… WE are human. We will fail, but we will rise. Each failure will be less and less over time, and we’ll get closer to our goal.
The key is this.
Embrace failure, go after that dream, and never, ever, ever, ever give up, my friend!