Anything Worth Doing is Worth Doing Poorly

There is an old adage that says, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well!”

This proverb, like many others, is often attributed to a variety of figures throughout history. In reality, however, no one can be certain who said it first. And, to be clear, the heart behind this statement is beneficial as it places a focus on completing tasks with excellence and intentionally.

However, what if the task you are about to undertake is one where you have no experience?

What if you have zero learned skills because you are embarking on something new?

A child learning to walk will inevitably fall many times. Someone learning to speak, write, sing or dance professionally is likely to do it poorly at the outset. Learning to play an instrument, using a new programming language, taking up a new sport, or even handling financial investments with a different approach will inevitably lead to dozens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of mistakes before excellence is visible on the horizon.

In most cases, those mistakes will be minor opportunities to learn. In some instances, those mistakes may take a high toll physically, emotionally, or financially.

Yet, despite the many mistakes and failures, despite the lack of achieving excellence, efforts in these areas are still very worthwhile. To say it another way, it is all still very worth doing.

To grow in an area — be it personally, professionally, physically, emotionally, etc — is difficult. Any intentional undertaking involves setting aside fear and recognizing the potential of failure. Thus, every time you decide to do something new, albeit perhaps poorly, is an instance of you choosing to persevere, choosing to act in spite of fear, and choosing to grow.

Yes, excellence should be a goal in areas where we can achieve a task with excellence. However, excellence must never be the factor determining if a task is worth doing. Because anything truly worth doing is worth doing poorly.