Make Mistakes and Learn. Forever
Today I once again sat down in front of a blank page to write. And as I struggled to find anything to write about, I started scouring through my ‘writing’ folder on my computer.
There I found a text file which was called “Putting in the hours” . I haven’t opened it in over a year, but I remember what I used it for. I tracked how many hours a day I was writing.
I opened it and saw how I tracked my hours spent, and under the numbers of hours spent there was a line that went: “It’s ok that your writing isn’t perfect. Make mistakes and learn. Forever.” I couldn’t and still can’t recall writing that in there. Nonetheless I’m glad I did.
It seems so logical that to figure anything out, you will probably have to make a few mistakes first. Big or small. Life changing or barely noticeable.
But it’s so frustrating feeling like you can’t do anything right, because there are always mistakes somewhere along the way. However, I think feeling like that is normal, and even productive.
You know that there are mistakes. If you know where the mistakes are, you can fix them. It will take work, and while working on a mistake you will make many more. And now the title rings true. Make mistakes and learn. Forever.
Often people try to avoid mistakes as much as possible, and, while that is completely normal, it can (depending on what you’re doing) be counterproductive. I will use a writing example since that is what I’m doing.
If I was afraid of making mistakes, I probably would never have started my Medium. Because what if my articles aren’t that good? What if I’m wasting my time with this and it would’ve been more productive to focus more on creative writing instead of this?
Hell, I probably wouldn’t have started writing in the first place. I would’ve been too afraid that it’s a mistake even trying and I’m not and never will be a writer.
Questions like that will be countless in whatever you’re doing/planning to do.
Mistakes will be made everywhere and at times when you don’t expect them. As frustrating as it may be, it is how we humans function. We do something wrong and we learn how to do it right. And anyone who says that they were always perfect at their craft is either a liar or terrible at what they do.
Make mistakes first, master it afterwards, never the reverse.
