Life Coaches Blog

Ahem, disregarding the highly suggestive title of this post…

I’m going to tell you how to suck and still be on top…in a personal development sort of way. Only.

I got this idea from reading Death by risk-aversion on the always good Creating Passionate Users. While Kathy talks about risk aversion in the state of companies, you can also read it through as it applies to you, personally.

While I expounded on how important it is to your personal growth to stretch, she says it this way;

Here’s where the Buddhists have an edge. Too many of us hold on to practices or ideas (including sacred cows) long past their sell-by date. If it doesn’t serve us any longer, it’s time to give it up no matter how well it served us in the past.

Of course, “letting go” means temporarily experiencing that painful, awkward, “I suck” stage again. But pro athletes do it if they want to break through plateus. Go players do it to move up in ranks. Musicians let go of habits and styles. Programmers do it (waterfall anyone?). Writers do it. Anyone who has switched from skiing to snowboarding (or switched from regular to “goofy foot”) has learned to let go.

There! That’s stretching to a T. How comfy are you with sucking, and sucking bad? Because anytime you take a risk and do something outside of your comfort zone, something new that you’ve never done before, chances are you’re going to suck, and suck bad.

Oooo.

Remember, anything worth doing is worth doing badly…at first.

I’m expounding on stretching again and again because I sincerely believe it is the one principle that will virtually guarantee you accelerate your personal growth beyond anything you can imagine. I’ve seen it work in my own life and in the lives of so many others. It is, quite literally, a matter of stretch or die. Because if you’re not growing, you’re dying.

When was the last time you took a good risk that stretched you and grew you? What is something new you’ve always wanted to do but have held yourself back saying ‘oh, but I’d suck so bad at it’? Be willing to suck, even if it’s uncomfortable at first. Because that’s what will keep you on top in the end. And that’s a conclusion I hope you’ve come to, again and again by now ;D