How to Let Yourself Suck at Something (and Keep Going)
Hi, friends!
This one’s for the perfectionists, the overthinkers, and those hidden creatives among us who keep putting things off, as well as anyone who’s ever pressed that dreaded delete button on a draft before it even had the chance to breathe. If you’ve found yourself giving up on something simply because you weren’t magically amazing at it right out of the gate, then this is for you. And honestly? I wrote this for me, too, since I often need that little pep talk myself.
Most of us are absolutely terrified of being bad at things. Not just mediocre or inexperienced... bad. The thought of stumbling or being seen as awkward can be paralyzing. So many times, we talk ourselves out of starting something just to avoid that uncomfortable feeling (neuroplasticity) of being a total beginner. But if we genuinely want to excel at anything, whether it’s writing, belting out a tune, launching a blog, hitting the gym, whipping up an amazing meal, building a business, or even flirting with that cute person across the room, we have to embrace the fact that we might suck at it for a while. And that’s perfectly okay!
TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read):
You’re allowed to be bad at something in the beginning.
Sucking is not a sign you’re failing; it’s proof you’re doing it.
Growth comes through the mess, not perfection.
Keep going.
Seriously, keep going.
Why We’re So Scared to Be Beginners
You’re mindlessly scrolling through someone’s three-year glow-up on YouTube or TikTok, and suddenly it feels like you’ve stumbled upon a secret they won’t share, but their first few videos probably sucked too!
What we see is the final product, the polished version of all the hard work, sweat, and sometimes tears that went into getting there. Then, in a moment of despair, we think we’re the only ones struggling to get it together on day one.
I mean there are parts of my website I HATED, but becuase I trudged through the bad and learned how to fix it, I now love those parts of my website the most! And the parts I hate right now will teach me how to do whatever I do next to upgrade it!! I literally didn't even know was SEO or CSS was before January 2024, I'm not kidding!!! Could have been the spy organization from Spy Kids for all I knew!!! LOL
So, you dive headfirst into starting a blog right? You reread your first post, and feel that familiar cringe creeping in. (Trust me, I know this feeling all too well.) Or maybe you muster up the courage to sing a verse of a song you wrote, record it, play it back, and suddenly you're fighting the urge to throw your phone across the room. (Yep, that’s also me.) You decide to put your face out there in a video, heart racing, and right before anyone has a chance to see it, aaaaand you hit delete.
It's that nasty shame game. You feel exposed, imperfect, and utterly unprepared. But the truth? That shame is a liar!!! It’s just a knee-jerk reaction to vulnerability! Vulnerability is where all the good stuff actually starts though! It’s the raw, messy beginning of growth, creativity, and authenticity. So next time you feel that pang of self-doubt, remember that every expert was once a beginner, too!
Sucking Isn’t Optional. It’s Necessary.
The only way to skip sucking is to never start. And if you never start, you never get good. Period. When I launched Chronically Chic, I thought I'd just be writing about whatever I felt like everyday! I didn't understand SEO. I didn’t know what a plugin was. I picked a font I later hated and I STILL need to change it to something more accessible, but then I'll be unraveling my whole color scheme, which is a whole other monster UGH! Anyway, I digress... some of those early blog posts make me want to fake my own death. SERIOUSLY. But without those cringe posts, I never would’ve found my voice, my groove, or the readers who get me.
Same thing with making my music! I had zero "real" training, no equipment besides a laptop and guitar, and no clue what I was doing. But the first time I sat down to record something I wrote, I felt more alive than I had in years. Was it good? Not the best. But was it worth doing? Every second. And now I'm making stuff I might actually want to start sharing soon!!!
Give Yourself Permission to Be Bad
Here’s what I want you to tattoo onto your beautiful brain:
You do not need to be good to be worthy of doing something.
It doesn’t have to be impressive. It doesn’t have to go viral. You can:
Write the poem
Sing the song
Post the vlog
Try the outfit
Paint the thing
Launch the store
And still suck. You have permission.
6 Tips for Sucking With Style (and Not Quitting)
1. Set “Effort” Goals, Not “Outcome” Goals
Instead of aiming to be good at something right away, aim to simply do it consistently. Post one blog a week. Write 5 minutes a day. Record one reel a day, even if you never post it. Effort goals keep your focus on action, not approval.
2. Make Peace With Cringe
Cringe is a sign of progress. You’ll never cringe at your old work if you’re not growing. When I look at my early content, I still wince. But that’s proof I’ve evolved. Celebrate the cringe! It means you’re on your way!!
3. Start Ugly, Start Small
You don’t need the perfect setup. Just use what you’ve got. Your phone. Google Docs. A free Canva account. Don’t wait for the vibe to be immaculate. Make progress in the mess.
4. Get a Private Practice Space
This is huge. If you’re afraid to suck publicly, do it privately first. Make a Finsta. Keep a draft-only blog. Record music no one hears but you. Build the habit in a safe space, then move it public when you’re ready, like I did and do!
5. Talk to Yourself Like a Best Friend
Would you mock your bestie for not being perfect on her first try? No. So don’t do it to yourself. Your inner voice sets the tone. Choose kindness, even when you feel ridiculous.
6. Find Your Micro-Wins
Track the little wins: you hit publish, you edited your first reel, you made a playlist. "Input, not outcomes" as my wonderful fiance always tells me when I feel like I keep making crappy music or can't find the right angle for an article I'm working on. Keep a list of every win, no matter how small. It builds evidence that you’re doing it! You have no idea how many "little" things eventually felt big enough to me have the drive to keep going!
Nobody Actually Knows What They’re Doing
I know that sounds like something people say to be nice, but it’s the truth. Most of the people you admire were once just like you: googling, guessing, feeling ridiculous. The difference? They kept showing up.
Every podcast host you love recorded awkward intros. Every style blogger wore an outfit they hated a week later. Every musician sang a flat note. Every entrepreneur launched something that bombed.
The only way through is through.
What Happens When You Let Yourself Suck
When you finally stop waiting to be perfect, everything opens up:
You experiment more
You learn faster
You feel free
You stay consistent
You build confidence
People don’t connect with perfection. They connect with realness. With effort. With people who keep going despite the mess.
My Origin Story: The Very Cringey Version
I started Chronically Chic on January 1, 2024. That first post? It had a Canva stock header and zero SEO. I didn’t know the difference between a slug and a meta description. I tried to write like other bloggers I admired, not like myself. The voice was weird. The formatting was messy. But it was done.
And that post? It’s why you’re reading this now. Because I started.
If I had waited until I felt "ready,” I wouldn’t have a blog. I wouldn’t have been able to start monetizing my work. I wouldn’t have 2500+ Twitter followers who actually care what I say. Seriously, I was beyond humbled to go online and find a gaggle of them defending me against a troll this week, and you have NO idea how much that meant to me. You don’t get results, connections, growth, anything worth having, without the sucky stage.
You’re Not Alone: Let’s Normalize the Learning Phase
I want us to stop pretending we were perfect from day one. I want to see more people step away from their fears of being percieved, a fear I still struggle with to this day! I want more people to know how common this feeling is, and to know that if this shaky-handed, reluctant introvert can become a confident and delibrate ambivert, they can too!! Let’s make it normal to:
Talk about our early mistakes
Share our cringe posts
Celebrate effort, not just excellence
You’re allowed to show up with shaky hands. You’re allowed to post before you’re polished. That’s where the magic starts.
Let Yourself Be Bad… But Stay In It
You don’t have to be fearless. You just have to be brave for 10 seconds at a time. Keep posting. Keep showing up. Keep writing the awkward sentences. Keep filming the shaky videos. Keep being bad… until you’re not.
You will not feel proud right away. You will probably want to delete half your stuff later. But you will also start to feel free. Free from the pressure. Free from fake perfection. Free to actually try!
Your Permission Slip to Suck
Here’s a list you can screenshot or print:
I’m allowed to:
Be a beginner
Make mistakes
Cringe at old work
Try again
Change my mind
Be proud of my effort
Learn in public
Keep going
This is your permission slip. Stick it on your mirror. Tape it to your laptop. Say it out loud.
Keep Sucking, Friends!
If you’re waiting to be perfect, you’ll be waiting forever. Being willing to suck is the most underrated superpower. So go be bad at something today. Really bad. Terrible even. And then do it again tomorrow.
Because that’s how people like us, people with big dreams and wild ideas and messy starts, actually make it.
Your Turn
What’s something you’ve always wanted to try, but stopped because you weren’t instantly amazing? Tell me in the comments. Let’s normalize being brave beginners.And if this post hits home, share it with someone else who needs to hear it.
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Let’s keep sucking together!
