Chapter 1: Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Badly

"Anything worth doing is worth doing badly." It’s one of those statements that makes people stop and think—really think. At first, it sounds counterintuitive. We’re raised to believe that if you’re going to do something, do it right. Do it well. But that mindset, while noble, is also paralyzing. It’s the fear of doing things badly that stops most people from ever doing them at all.

Look, let’s get one thing straight: you’re not going to be perfect. None of us are. And yet, we live in a world where everyone’s trying to curate their lives to look that way. Social media is a big part of it. We see these flawless snapshots of other people’s successes and compare our messy, behind-the-scenes reality to their highlight reels. It’s no wonder so many people are stuck in the planning phase of their dreams, afraid to take the first step because what if it’s not perfect?

But perfection isn’t the goal. Growth is. If you think back to when you first learned to walk, you didn’t start by sprinting marathons. You fell—a lot. You wobbled. You probably smacked your head on a coffee table or two. But you kept going because, instinctively, you knew that the only way to get good at something is to do it badly first. Somewhere along the way, though, we lose that willingness to be beginners. We start to think that if we’re not immediately good at something, we shouldn’t even bother.

Here's the truth: anything worth doing is worth doing badly because it’s the doing that matters, not the initial result. We’ve all got this idea that we need to get everything right from the start, but the reality is much messier. And that’s okay. In fact, that’s exactly how it should be.

Think of this as your permission slip to mess up. To fail spectacularly. To create things that don’t work. Because every time you do, you learn something. And that learning—that stumbling, falling, and getting back up—is the real prize. It’s the key to everything.

When I say this, I’m not just talking about art or creative projects, though it absolutely applies there. This mindset touches every aspect of life—your work, your relationships, even your personal growth. We all want to be the perfect employee, the perfect partner, the perfect parent, but we aren’t born knowing how to do these things. We learn by doing, by failing, and by doing again.

 “You are not amazing. You are not the greatest thing that’s ever shown up on this planet to make the thing that you think needs to be made.”

It’s not about being the best. It’s about being in the game, about putting yourself out there and letting the world shape you through every misstep and every win, however small. It’s about recognizing that the work itself is what’s valuable, even when it’s rough and unpolished.

Take a moment to think about some of the greatest things you’ve ever seen or experienced. The best art, the best music, the most impactful businesses—they weren’t perfect from the start.

 They were the result of countless iterations, of bad first drafts, of ideas that failed before they ever succeeded.

The moment you stop being precious about your work—about yourself—is the moment you start to unlock what you’re truly capable of. So stop worrying about whether you’re doing it right, and just do it. Show up, make the thing, whatever it is. Do it badly, but do it. Because anything worth doing is worth doing badly.