Nearly 13 years ago, I decided to pursue one of my passions. I am a self-proclaimed, group exercise junkie – I mean, I am obsessed with group fitness! So I got certified in a kickboxing format, but it was already pre-choreographed. As the instructor, I just needed to memorize the choreography and deliver it to the members.
Now, early on, I was hyper-obsessed with delivering the choreography exactly how it was set for me. I was showing up to class, making sure that I had memorized every single move so perfectly that I never would miss a cue, I wouldn’t send people in the wrong direction, I wouldn’t even breathe wrong.
Funny and ironically enough, members weren’t having a real connection with me as an instructor. I wasn’t “that” instructor, that they had to go to “that” class – until I started totally messing up. Until I started letting go and saying, “Oh crap, I forgot, we’re supposed to go this way. Oh my gosh, that’s not the song we’re supposed to be on.”
It wasn’t when I was perfect, it wasn’t when everything felt so systematic, delivering exactly what they thought should be delivered; it was when I was simply a human being.
So if you are holding back, delivering something or taking the next step, or you’re already communicating in some form or fashion, whether that’s through leadership and corporate or speaking to groups – whatever it is, if you are holding onto things, trying to be perfect, I am telling you today to let that go! That perfection actually builds a wall; it creates a barrier between you and whoever you’re communicating with.
They can’t connect with you, they don’t see you as an actual human being until there’s some level of authenticity.
Something that shows them that, “Wow, you can mess up; things aren’t always going to be perfect for you.” Today, where are you trying to build that perfection, that you can say, “Hold on, let me take a step back and build some level of realness to this,” be a little bit more authentic, or stop holding back and just move forward, even though it’s not perfect yet. Put in the comments below, I want to know where you’re committing to not being perfect, starting today.