A Formal Invitation to Begin, No Expertise Required
Congratulations—you’ve been chosen.
Not for a grand prize. Not for a spotlight moment. Not even for something you’re particularly good at.
No, today you’ve been invited to do something entirely different:
To be bad at something.
Yes, you read that right. You’ve been given the rare opportunity to try something new and fail gloriously at it.
This isn’t a mistake. It’s not a consolation prize. It’s not what happens when the “good opportunities” are all taken.
This is the opportunity.
And here’s the kicker: you’ve been saying no to it for years.
The Things You Haven’t Started
Let’s take a moment to reflect on the projects, dreams, and ideas that have been quietly waiting for you—gathering dust in notebooks, apps, and conversations.
The business idea you’ve been mulling over since 2019, still sitting in draft form, waiting for you to know everything before you do anything.
The creative project you once described so vividly to a friend over dinner. Remember? They said, “You should totally do that!” And you replied, “Yeah, I just need to—” followed by a laundry list of prerequisites that have yet to be checked off.
The instrument you wanted to learn. The language you wanted to speak. The painting you imagined creating. The podcast you dreamed of recording.
All of them paused, waiting for the perfect time, the perfect skill set, the perfect version of you.
“Not yet,” you told yourself.
Those two words—“not yet”—are costly. They’ve kept you from starting, from trying, from failing, and ultimately, from growing.
The Lie of Perfectionism
Perfectionism has a way of dressing itself up as wisdom. It sounds responsible, even noble. But let’s be honest about what it really is.
What Perfectionism Says:
- “I need to do more research first.”
- “I want to do it right when I do it.”
- “Now isn’t the right time.”
- “I need to take a course first.”
- “I’m still figuring out my direction.”
What Perfectionism Really Means:
- “I’m afraid to start.”
- “I’m afraid to fail.”
- “I’m afraid it won’t be perfect.”
- “I’m afraid someone will see me struggle.”
- “I’ve been figuring out my direction since 2017.”
Perfectionism isn’t a high standard. It’s fear wearing a tailored suit, armed with a PowerPoint presentation explaining why today isn’t the day. It’s convincing, isn’t it? But it’s been lying to you for far too long.
Why You Should Start Anyway
Here’s the truth about being bad at something new:
You start.
And starting is the only thing that separates the people who did from the people who almost did.
You learn faster by doing poorly than you ever could by studying how to do well.
You discover—shockingly quickly—whether you love the thing itself or just the idea of it. Both answers are valuable, and neither can be found in your notes app.
You give others permission to start. There’s nothing more intimidating than watching someone excel at something you want to try—and nothing more freeing than watching someone begin joyfully, awkwardly, imperfectly.
And here’s the secret no one talks about: being bad at something makes you feel alive.
Because you’re learning. Because you’re growing. Because you’re in the arena—no longer an observer in the stands, critiquing the players, but someone who’s actually playing the game.
Even Jesus Didn’t Pick the Experts
Let’s pause for a moment and think about this.
When Jesus called people to change the world, He didn’t look for the most qualified. He didn’t ask for résumés, portfolios, or five years of experience.
He didn’t say, “Follow Me—once you’ve perfected your skills.”
No, He chose fishermen. A tax collector. People whose qualifications were laughable on paper.
And He said, “Follow Me, and I will make you into what you need to be.”
Not “get good first.”
Not “figure it all out before you come.”
Follow Me—and we’ll figure it out together, on the road.
Your Assignment This Week
It’s time.
Pick the thing. You know the one—the idea that just popped into your head.
And do it badly.
Write the clunky first draft. Record the awkward first podcast episode. Paint the crooked first painting. Play the wrong notes on the guitar. Post the imperfect first attempt.
Start the embarrassing first version of the business, the project, the dream that’s been waiting quietly in your notes app since 2019.
Be so bad at it that you have nowhere to go but up.
Because the people who changed the world weren’t the ones who waited until they were ready.
They were the ones who dared to be terrible at something new—long enough to become great at it.
For God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear
Here’s the truth:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
—2 Timothy 1:7
Fear might wear a blazer.
But power starts anyway.
So go ahead. Be terrible. It’s the best decision you’ll make today.