Too Hard on Yourself

It’s easy to be hard on ourselves when we miss the mark. But often that’s because we mistake a setback for the derailment of the entire project or goal.

I’m learning the value of seeing large undertakings as a series of small steps.

That means in any given moment, I don’t need all the answers. I just need to take the next step.

Breaking it down in this way has been a breakthrough for me. Because it takes the pressure off any given step to be perfect. When I stumble, I can dust myself off and try that step again. Or perhaps realize that step wasn’t the best next step. Either way, I continue forward.

In your current project, you will hit turbulence along the way. You will blow a conversation. You will fall short of expectations. But if you focus on the step before you rather than being taken out by the last step, you will recover. Far more, you will learn.

Along the way, don’t be too hard on yourself. No single step defines you. As Nelson Mandela says, “I never lose. Either I win or learn.”

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