Win or Learn, Just Come Back Tomorrow

To say that I tend to look at things in terms of absolutes would be an understatement.  I am the first to admit to a mindset that has more often than not been about this or that, black or white, right or wrong.  Learning to become open to and also appreciate the grey or uncharted areas of life has been some of the hardest and most rewarding work that I have done.  What I have learned through this is that sometimes the most meaningful progress in life happens while we are sitting knee-deep in uncertainty.

The concept of winning or learning, versus winning or losing, was introduced to me while I listened to an excellent audio book entitled "How to Ikigai", which explored the idea around discovering your life's work.  The author Tim Tamashiro introduced this concept as a new way to consider the effort required to develop a skill or reach a goal.  It really boils down to changing our mindset from win or lose when it comes to pursuing goals and accomplishments.  It gives us permission to celebrate a win and permission to feel disappointment at not reaching a goal, and in also allows us to celebrate the learning that is found in both outcomes.

I also love the second part of this intention, to Just Come Back Tomorrow.  What this says to me is that no matter what the outcome of the work was, a win or an opportunity to learn, come back again to continue where you left off.  In doing so, the commitment to yourself and your journey remains intact and becomes stronger each and every time you do come back.  Even if you are just stopping for a few minutes to reflect on what you have done so far, or are putting plans in place for your next step, it all adds up and builds on the energy that we are cultivating.

What I have come to realize lately is that times of indecision are more often fueled by a fear of getting it wrong versus an inability to act.  I would rather do nothing than do something not well.  Changing my mindset to one where I can find a positive outcome even when things don't appear to have gone the way I wanted them to makes it much easier for me to move ahead.  I am no longer feeling like I have one shot at what I am aiming for and also don't feel the need to punish myself for not being successful at my attempts.  Instead, I can pick myself up, dust myself off and see where I can make changes and then try it again.  

Of course, this is easier said than done sometimes, and I am grateful for this reminder that no matter where you are starting from, as long as you keep showing up for yourself you will eventually get where you want to be.