Sometimes, I can be a perfectionist. When I find something that I care about and want to be good at, I will put a lot of pressure on myself to do it “just right.” The trouble is, I’m not perfect, and nothing ever turns out the way I imagine it in my head, so I usually end up getting disappointed with myself.
I came to Ignite 2019 (an ICC leadership training event) with a lot of doubts because I wanted to do well as a Student Instructor and in the ICCFS tournament, and I didn’t feel ready. One day, before the tournament, I got really overwhelmed, and had a major self-confidence crash. But then I had an honest conversation with someone. And what this person said to me was something that made me change my attitude: “A thing done poorly is better than a thing not done at all.”
The more I thought about this, the more I realized that I need to stop being afraid of messing up because chances are, I’m going to mess up sometime, but even if that’s the case, it doesn’t change who I am. I am an extraordinary leader, not a perfect leader - and who could relate with a perfect leader? So what if my first lab doesn’t go the way I planned, if I get nervous and I forget my lines in a speech, or if talking to new people can be scary? I’m learning, and I know that the best mentors I’ve had are honest about their imperfections.
And no, it wasn’t perfect. I made a lot of mistakes. But by the end of Ignite, I was able to look back and see that I grew so much. It had taken a step of courage, but I enjoyed my experience to the fullest. In ICC, we are a community of extraordinary people, and this community has transformed and reminded me that I am also extraordinary.
My perfectionist, idealistic tendencies cause me to back out of opportunities for fear of not doing well. But what really matters is that I care. And if I care about what I do, and give my best even if it’s not perfect, that’ll be a job well done.
I used to want to be the “perfect leader” I imagined,
but now I know that who God made me to be
is so much better.
Find out more about Ignite 2019: HERE
Registration for Ignite 2020 will be posted
in October 2019 on the ICCinc.org
under the Events Tab