How to Deal With Not Being Good at Something - The Muse

How to Deal With Not Being Good at Something - The MuseHow to Deal With Not Being Good at Something I like to be good at things. As a matter of fact, if Im notlage at least 90% confident that Ill be remotely decent at something, Im not even going to bother trying my hand at it- and definitely not in front of other people. Maybe, just maybe, Ill attempt it in the comfort of my own home without others there to witness my inevitable failure and resulting embarrassment. But, more likely than not, Im simply going to walk away and write it off as something I simply wouldnt be good at.I know I cant be alone in this- I assume most of us feel this way when faced with something weve never tried before. So, I was relieved to find this insightful article by Thomas Oppong that reinforced my belief that we all deal with this limiting self-doubt. Oppong provides an incredibly encouraging message for everyone- but it resonates especially strongly with perfectionists like myself. Throughout his artic le, he asserts that youre probably not going to be flawless the first time you attempt something new. And, you know what? Thats totally OK. Even further, trying and failing is better than never having tried at all. He says The greatest impediment to creativity is our impatience, the almost inevitable desire to hurry up the process, express something, and make a quick splash.When I first read that single line, it felt like a punch to the gut. I can think of so many things- both personally and in my career- that Ive prevented myself from doing, just because I felt this immense amount of self-imposed pressure to knock it out of the park right away.Ive turned down innovative freelance projects that have intimidated me. Ive passed up on speaking opportunities because Ive never done anything like that before and feel overwhelmed by figuring it all out. I even refused to join my former employers kickball team because I havent done something remotely athletic since my high school gym class. Are you nodding along with me thinking, Me too? I cant blame you. So, how exactly can we all combat this natural inclination to shy away from things we assume we wont excel at?In his piece, Oppong recommends two different things. First, its time to refer back to that age-old practice makes perfect advice youve heard too many times to count. If you want to be the best at anything, you need to be the best at practicing more than anyone else, Oppong explains, The value of practice can have profound effects on your career.And, hes right. Somewhere along the way, our desire for immediate success has outweighed the importance of committing ourselves to the process of slowly getting better. When you practice something- anything- you improve, you grow, you advance, you gain a skill and heaps of confidence in the process, because you get better with time, Oppong adds. Secondly, its important for you to- as Oppong puts it- give yourself permission to suck. Accept that you wont be an overnight sensation at most things and then give yourself the necessary time, patience, and forgiveness to improve, rather than throwing your hands up at the first sight of disappointment.Youll suck at most things in the beginning, Oppong reminds all of us, It takes time, persistence, and patience to create your most amazing work. Keep on trying.So, take a minute to think about it Is there something youve been holding yourself back from, simply because youre afraid you wont be great at it right away? I challenge you to let go of that unnecessary pressure to knock it out of the park immediately and instead just try it. If you dont like it, you dont like it. If you suck at it, you suck at it. If its something you want to get better at, youll practice and persevere. But, dont let the fear of not being an instant success be what prevents you from ever giving it a go. Take it from me- you deserve so much more than that. Photo of person stressed courtesy of JGI/Tom Grill/Getty Images.