A Feather On Your Path - Do It Badly

Embracing Imperfection to Overcome Stagnation: The Power of 'Doing It Badly'

The What

When we find ourselves stuck in a rut, every task can feel like an insurmountable obstacle. That's when it's time to break free from the shackles of perfectionism and try something a little out of the ordinary - 'Doing it badly'.

The mental battle between doing nothing and achieving perfection often leaves us paralysed, unable to move forward. So what if we introduced a third option - doing it 'badly' and then improving from there?

Now, don't freak out and be all "I can't just go around doing things badly and causing chaos!" Don't worry, we are going to establish a safety net before diving into the realm of imperfection.

The Why

The concept of "doing it badly" is not about being sloppy or careless. It's about embracing imperfection and recognising that progress is generally more important (and noticeable) than perfection. By acknowledging that it's okay to make mistakes, we can take the pressure off ourselves and just focus on the process of improvement.

One of the biggest benefits of "doing it badly" is that it allows us to take calculated risks and step outside our comfort zone. When we're not so worried about making mistakes, we're more likely to take bold action and try something new. When this happens, sparkle and wonder appear around you as you become a total boss babe.

When the overwhelm is just too much

So if you're feeling pretty far from boss babe territory right now and in a situation where even the simplest tasks feel overwhelming, like getting out of bed, dressed for work, and eating breakfast. It may feel like scaling a mountain, but what if you just tried doing it badly?

If rolling or crawling out of bed is all you can manage, no worries. To get dressed, grab the first items of clothing you see. And as for breakfast, if ice cream is all that appeals to you, indulge in that sweet treat.

So you may now find yourself curled up, possibly dressed like a clown, and enjoying ice cream on your kitchen floor. While this might not seem like a triumph, the fact that you overcame the initial hurdle is a victory in itself. The safety net is you are at home, safe and no one can see you anyway. Tomorrow, you can strive to do it a little better. Gradually, these small steps can lead you to boss babe territory and a whole load of sparkle in your life.

Likewise, if you're facing a challenge at work or contemplating starting a new hobby. Give yourself permission to do it badly, but with a safety net in place. If for instance, you aspire to become a better cook, attend a cooking class with the intention of making mistakes and improving gradually. Unless Gordon Ramsay shows up to call you an idiot sandwich, it doesn't matter how badly the results of your cooking class turn out. It's about the journey, not the destination.

So, how can we start "doing it badly" to create more of that sparkle further down the road? Well here are a few strategies to help you get started:

1. Give yourself permission to make mistakes: Allow yourself to take risks and try new things, even if you're not sure how they'll turn out. By all means tell people this isn't your strength to keep that pressure off.

2. Set realistic expectations: Recognise that perfection is not the goal, and that progress is what matters. Compete against yesterday's you instead of everyone else. This is your show hunny and you're in the leading role. There's just no sense in comparing yourself to the role someone else is playing.

3. Focus on the process, not the outcome: Instead of worrying about the end result, focus on the process and each little thing you've learned. We often learn the most when things don't go to plan so expect hiccups, look for them. Hell, hope for them! As they will teach you so much more than the easy days do!

4. Celebrate small wins: Acknowledge and celebrate your small victories along the way. This will help you stay positive and motivated, even when faced with challenges.

5. Practice self-compassion: Treat yourself with kindness and compassion when you make mistakes. Remember that everyone makes mistakes, so it's ok to make them and we can totally learn from them.
   

Now, let's look at specifics - how can you apply the 'Doing it badly' concept to every day tasks to get them done but without looking like a total plonker?

Doing It Badly For Real

Well one way of "doing it badly" is doing something technically along the lines of what you're trying to achieve but in way smaller and more manageable chunks. For example, you know you need to stop eating so many takeaways but it's such a hassle to cook after work.

So you start all these big grand plans to be one of those people that has a fridge filled with pre-prepared healthy snacks like carrot batons with low fat, no flavour dip. But for some reason that doesn't work!? You don't manage to stick to the plan for long and then you are back to square one, mouldy carrots in the bin, sweet & sour chicken with egg-fried rice and a bag of free prawn crackers on the way to your door.

Well how about we just try improving on the 'too many takeaways' situation by doing it badly instead? So in your next food shop, you could include one of those 'takeaway at home' style meal boxes? Nope it's not a perfect solution, far from it! So your brain may well be freaking out and telling you right now to "Do better! Buy nothing that contains more calories than a cucumber! Cook everything from scratch! Steam everything! Be the next Delia Smith!"

Or.... you could just do it badly by adding an 'at home takeaway box' to your next shop and stick a bit of salad with it or something. It will at least be cheaper than your usual takeaway and you can probably make the portion sizes smaller so it spreads over a couple of meals which means less calories and cost versus your usual takeaway. See - we are making steps in the right direction! I can already see a glimpse of that new sparkly you that you hope to be!

Being Real Brave - Doing It Badly in Work

Ok so swapping your usual takeaway for a micro meal isn't going to shock anyone so should be pretty achievable right? But what about doing something badly at work? Now that sounds risky. I mean we don't get paid to do things badly, obviously! But one of the biggest culprits for getting us stuck and ironically crushing our ambitions is work. Why? Because we get paid to do it well. So we believe perfection is always expected.

Now of course we need to be sensible here, there really isn't much movement on the need for perfection if you're a heart surgeon! But we aren't talking here about the things you are already experienced in doing (I assume if you are a qualified heart surgeon then you should be pretty experienced at doing surgery on hearts!) What we are talking about is getting us moving towards shiny, sparkly, exciting new things by starting a new and possibly unfamiliar task badly.

Maybe for instance you're hoping for a promotion? But your colleague is known to be more highly qualified than you? It's so easy to give up on the possibility of that promotion if you feel perfection is the expectation for getting the job. So what about 'Doing it badly' to get that promotion?

What if you do any courses you can on the subject, as many as you can find, even the not great looking freebie ones? There are free courses online on pretty much anything! You could even watch YouTube videos to learn more! Is your colleague also a more experienced public speaker than you? Join a drama club. You may be terrible at drama and hate it! Or you may just surprise yourself at how much better it could make you at speaking in meetings! Need to show you go the extra mile (and further than your colleague?) Do an extra project related to your job. It doesn't need to be perfect, frankly even if it's a bit of a rushed mess, you will still get brownie points for the initiative.

Now put all this together and take it to your boss. Is it perfect? Nope, it might be very far from it! But you've shown how much you care, how hard you work, the initiative you have and how badly you want that promotion. Those things alone could be enough to get it for you. If they aren't, you've most likely learned something new and useful from your 'Badly done' tasks! Plus anything is better than doing nothing and just watching that promotion get awarded to some else, right?!

Your future self sparkling

Pave Your Path Your Way

So, the next time you're faced with a challenge or you're feeling overwhelmed by daily tasks, remember that it's ok to "do it badly". Give yourself permission to make some mistakes and focus on the process to begin with, rather than the outcome. You also deserve to celebrate your little victories along the way.

"Doing it badly" is a powerful concept that can help us achieve our goals when we are paralysed by perfection. I think the key lies in setting realistic expectations so allow yourself to fumble at the start and you can still pave the way for improvement and growth on your path. Just remember, perfection is not the goal; progress is.

The Who

The concept of doing it badly was inspired by the quote "Anything worth doing is worth doing badly". I'm not sure who said that originally but most people tend to be more aware of the opposite version - "Anything worth doing is worth doing well".

I love that both these sayings are technically true, despite being complete opposites. I like to think of them joined up instead to become 'Anything worth doing is worth starting badly to finish well'.

So, remove 'perfect' from your vocabulary, embrace imperfection, and enjoy the journey of improvement – even if you stumble along the way. Life is a game, so play it – even if you play it badly!

Try adopting a mindset of 'doing it badly' on something that's new or out of your comfort zone this week. Set this as your challenge to see if you can persevere through imperfection to unleash your sparkling potential, one imperfect step at a time.

Lou @ Feathered Paths Xx