The first time I tried yoga, it was a disaster.
I showed up to a class wearing a mismatched outfit, no yoga mat, and absolutely no idea what I was doing. While everyone else gracefully flowed through poses, I wobbled, fell over, and spent half the class staring at the instructor like she was speaking an alien language.
By the end, I was sure of two things: I was terrible at yoga, and I wanted to come back.
There’s something oddly liberating about being bad at something. When you let go of the need to excel—or even be passable—you open yourself up to the magic of trying. But most of us don’t give ourselves that chance.
Why We’re Afraid to Be Bad at Things
From a young age, we’re taught to value achievement. Success gets praised. Failure? Not so much. It’s no wonder we avoid doing things we’re not good at.
Think about the last time you wanted to try something new. Maybe it was learning a language, playing an instrument, or joining a running group. Did excitement bubble up at first, only to be replaced by the thought: What if I embarrass myself?
That fear of failure keeps so many of us from trying. It tells us that if we’re not instantly great at something, it’s not worth doing.
But here’s the thing: Being bad at something is part of the process. No one masters the piano on day one. No one writes a bestseller the first time they put pen to paper. And yet, we still expect perfection from ourselves right out of the gate.
The Beauty of Starting Ugly
A few months ago, a friend convinced me to join her pottery class. I agreed, but not without hesitation. My artistic skills peaked with stick figures, and I had no illusions of creating anything that resembled a vase.
The first session? As expected, my clay collapsed into a sad, misshapen lump. It didn’t look anything like the examples on Pinterest.
But for some reason, I wasn’t discouraged. There was something oddly satisfying about the process—my hands covered in clay, the quiet hum of the studio, the simple joy of creating something even if it wasn’t “good.”
By the third session, I managed to make a lopsided bowl that vaguely resembled something functional. I’m still far from skilled, but I look forward to each class because I’ve stopped focusing on the outcome.
When you let go of expectations, you find joy in the doing itself.
Why Doing Things Badly Is Good for You
There’s a surprising freedom in being bad at something. It strips away pressure and perfectionism, reminding you that not everything has to be serious or goal-oriented.
Here’s what I’ve learned from embracing the art of doing things badly:
- It builds resilience. When you’re bad at something, you get comfortable with failure—and failure stops feeling so scary.
- It reignites curiosity. Trying something new, without the expectation to excel, brings back the wonder we felt as kids. Remember how you learned to ride a bike? You fell. A lot. But you kept going.
- It sparks creativity. When you’re not worried about the “rules” or the “right” way to do something, you open the door to unexpected ideas and discoveries.
Turning “Bad” Into “Better”
Here’s the funny thing: When you’re bad at something, but you keep showing up anyway, you eventually get better.
Take my yoga journey, for example. For months, I kept showing up to classes, wobbling through poses and laughing at myself when I fell. Somewhere along the way, I stopped falling quite so much. I could touch my toes without wincing. And one day, I nailed a pose I’d been struggling with for months.
But here’s the thing: Even if I’d never gotten “better,” I’d still have gained something. The joy of movement. The mental clarity after each class. The satisfaction of sticking with something, no matter how awkward it felt at first.
Giving Yourself Permission to Be “Bad”
What would you try if you weren’t afraid of being bad at it?
Maybe it’s baking a cake from scratch, even if it turns out lopsided. Maybe it’s signing up for that improv class you’ve been eyeing, even if your jokes fall flat. Maybe it’s finally starting that blog, even if your first post gets five views.
The truth is, the only way to get better at something is to embrace being bad at it first. And sometimes, the joy isn’t in the improvement—it’s in the simple act of doing.
So, go ahead. Be terrible. Be clumsy. Be a beginner.
Because when you give yourself permission to do something badly, you just might discover the magic of trying.
And who knows? One day, you might surprise yourself with how far you’ve come. But for now, enjoy the wobbling, the falling, and the laughing at yourself. That’s where the real fun begins.
