Earlier this week I was on a conference call for a marketing project. I was outlining all the work I had been putting in to make sure the project is successful along with some ideas for how to move it forward. Someone on the call responded by proposing we hire someone else to take over my piece of the project. My initial response was shock and humiliation. I was then asked to give my feedback in response to the comment that had been made. I struggled to come up with an articulate response. The rest of my day I experienced a major loss of confidence. I started doubting all my creative abilities and questioning my worth. Yes, I know I’m dramatic..
Now how does this relate to the title of this blog post? Keep reading, I promise this will all come together.
I’m going to take you to a different setting now – the gym. I recently joined a new gym and instantly felt I was in way over my head. Being the first HIIT class I’ve ever taken, it was a big learning curve. The workouts are not only HARD and nothing like any workout I’ve done before, but I had also not worked out in months. The first couple of workouts were a STRUGGLE. I truly felt like giving up. How am I going to continue lifting these damn weights when my arms feel like they’re about to fall off?! That’s when I rediscovered the idea of modification. I will not let myself stop, but I will adjust the weights, speed, etc. when I need to.
So what do these two stories have to do with each other? They are the two experiences that led me to realize this: having a black and white, all or nothing mentality may very well be holding us back. We receive a negative comment from someone, and all of the sudden it invalidates all of the great things we’ve done. We pick up a heavy weight at the gym, and we are too prideful to pick up a smaller one to finish the workout.
Having a black and white, all or nothing mentality has stopped me from moving forward in the past.
Here’s the truth: We don’t have to be perfect or the absolute best to keep going. The comments of a few people shouldn’t negate all you’ve accomplished or invalidate how far you’ve come. It’s okay to modify and it’s okay to make mistakes. These are signs you are growing and pushing yourself farther than you’ve gone before and for that you should feel proud.
Thank you for reading!
Cocoa with Coco 