Day 88 of 100 Days of Hope
It’s Okay to Make Mistakes: Learning Is the Point
I started the day feeling hopeful that I would pass an exam.
It didn’t happen.
I missed it by one question.
And surprisingly, I felt… okay.
Not because it didn’t matter—but because I realized something important: mistakes don’t define us. Learning does.
So often, we hand our power over to the idea that doing something “wrong” means something about who we are. That if we miss the mark, it somehow diminishes our worth, intelligence, or capability. But the truth is, growth doesn’t come from getting everything right—it comes from being willing to try.
Sometimes the thing in front of us feels hard.
Sometimes it’s unfamiliar.
Sometimes it’s something we’ve never done before.
And that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with us.
The Hidden Rules We Live By
Many of us live by rules we never consciously chose. We follow patterns passed down to us—ways of doing things simply because that’s how they’ve always been done.
It’s like cutting the ends off the roast because grandma did, without ever stopping to ask why.
When we put our lives on autopilot, we don’t always realize how many of our fears come from unexamined beliefs:
“I should already know this.”
“I shouldn’t mess up.”
“There’s a right way, and I better find it.”
But what if those rules aren’t true?
What Happens When We Let Go
When we loosen our grip on perfection, something beautiful happens.
We’re less afraid.
We breathe more freely.
We begin to see what’s real—and what’s simply pressure we’ve placed on ourselves.
We feel more free to be ourselves.
More willing to laugh.
More open to play.
More able to enjoy the process instead of just chasing the outcome.
The idea of doing things “the right way” starts to lose its power. There are many ways to do something. Some paths may be faster than others—but if speed isn’t the goal, then it’s not a problem at all.
Questions That Open the Door to Growth
If you’re facing a challenge right now, try asking yourself:
What could I try differently to make this feel new?
What is this situation teaching me?
How might I grow because of this?
What would it look like to see this from another perspective?
How could I make learning more playful and less serious?
The Truth About Trying Again
Here’s the bottom line:
It’s okay to make mistakes.
It’s okay to try new things.
It’s okay to try again—even if it takes more than once.
This isn’t failure.
It’s learning.
And learning is one of the most beautiful things we get to do as humans. It keeps us curious. It keeps us humble. It keeps us growing.
I highly recommend it.
—
Julie Burningham
The Hope Coach 💛