But What if I Get It Wrong?
“But what if I get it wrong?” she said, mid homework panic.
Clo has been having a really hard time with school this year.
Navigating 2nd grade from a tiny Chromebook screen in the middle of a global pandemic can’t be easy, but for my highly sensitive girl, it’s really effing hard.
When she sits down to do her “independent work” she’s frozen. But not just frozen... frozen in the most recoiled way. Her body language is wilted. Her spirit, crushed. Her belief in herself, non-existent.
“What’s the matter, Clo??” I beg, desperate to help. “Why don’t you just give it a try, it’s okay if you get it wrong, that’s how you learn.”
Clo, “My teacher will be mad at me.”
Me, “No she won’t honey!”
Clo, “I don’t want to get anything wrong.”
Me, “Do you think she’d be more upset if you tried and got it wrong, or just didn’t do it at all?”
Silence.
Did I break through? Probably not, lol. But there’s silence, which feels like a second of peace.
And, of course, I notice… oh yeah… here’s my greatest teacher (my kids) showing up for me in perfect time.
If we’re never willing to try, we’ll never know what we can do.
If we’re so plagued with perfectionism, we’ll never get the chance to improve.
If our confidence is hinged on what we already know we can do well, we’ll only ever keep doing what we have already done, nothing more.
“But what if I get it wrong?”
You absolutely will. And it’s gonna be fine.
Straighten your crown. Give that thing you’ve been putting off a go. And get yourself out there exactly as you are today. You’re enough. You get to fuck up. You get to course correct. You get to keep trying. You get to be imperfect, because you’re HUMAN.
Today, go out there and get something imperfect.
Xoxo
L
PS. If someone really does get mad at you for getting something wrong, let them go. But, like Clo’s teacher who absolutely does not do that, remember to give people the chance to show you how they’re going to show up. I’m betting you have more people in your corner than you think.
PSS. Struggling with perfectionism? I’ve got some 1:1 coaching spots open now, let’s get you out there. Book a mini session here. We’ll have an actual coaching session, with a side of seeing if you want to keep working together.