I wish things were just perfect. I really do. And I’m sure you do too. But the challenge is that our own expectations have this tendency to blind us or have us put through a lot of pressure.
Giving our best is not an option. It’s the only way to go. But expecting the best is totally unreasonable. I think that’s nature’s way of telling you to not get ahead of yourself and be deliberate about your choices.
Consider a stand-up comic’s journey. Most suck when they start at the open-mic nights. Some try a few times before giving up completely. But some stay on forever and they’re the ones who eventually get better.
One of my friends gave himself an entire year to give a legitimate shot at stand-up comedy. He kept showing up. He bombed a lot. But he also learned a lot. And now, he’s among the top-rated stars in the stand-up comedy landscape. Sure, he’s got a long way to go still… but he’s thriving. All because he accepted the fact that it’s going to be bad for a while and that he will have to stick to his guns and keep going.
He gave his best but didn’t expect the same. For him, showing up was more important than anything else. He knew showing up means learning something new. That could be a weakness of his to work on or a newfound strength that he could use to his advantage.
I believe that’s the case with us all. I always wanted to be a writer and although that is (almost) something I do on a daily basis professionally (content marketing isn’t really writing, but some writing), I still think I’ve got a long way to go before I can confidently say that I’m a competent writer.
I started this blog because I was desperate for an outlet. I didn’t do well the first three years of this blog… and this for some silly reason I started to write every day. And I get the feeling that I’m kind of hooked. My ears perk up when I hear of new ideas, concepts, rants, raves and anything that I think is shareworthy.
It has changed the way I look at the world. And I’m simply starting… I’ve got a long way to go. I know that. But I’m focusing on deliberate practice. And I know I’m gonna suck at it for a while. And that is okay.
We all let the perfect get in the way of our journey to become good. But the antidote is to understand that it’s gonna be bad for a while. But you just gotta keep showing up.