Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Poorly

We have such an emphasis on looking good that it is easy to let that keep us from real progress. It may be no coincidence that babies learn more rapidly than any of us and, as Lyle Lovett reminds us, "fat babies have no pride."

If you are trying a genuinely new task, you are likely to do it poorly. Riding a bike, walking, presenting to a group of bored third graders or hostile clients. If the task is new, you're likely to stumble.

So this is the paradox. The desire to do well stops us from doing what matters. Invariably we will get to a point in life - in our relationships, our work, our health issues - when doing what we do so well no longer matters. We have to try something new. And at that point, we can embrace the fact that we'll do it poorly, freeze, or continue to do the old thing well, desperately hoping that it will suddenly make a difference.