This post was written by MVP Nate Chamberlain as part of the Humans of IT Guest Blogger series. Read on to learn how humility and vulnerability are byproducts of courage that challenge us and make us stronger.
There is beauty in imperfection - we are all a work-in-progress, and it takes courage to embrace imperfection
Consider if we only allowed ourselves to share things we felt were absolutely perfect and polished. Chances are we would share less, make fewer connections, and grow less. Embracing imperfection has allowed me to generate more content, elevate my career and community contributions, build a strong network, and learn from mistakes along the way while still finding joy in what I do. It also requires us to become quite familiar with both humility and vulnerability. Therefore, one could say that embracing your imperfections is an act of courage.
This imperfect post will cover how to:
- Define your own "good enough"
- Be bold and build a network with a growth mindset
- Leave room for joy
99 things
I often think about an athletic team spirit t-shirt issued to young athletes at my middle school (many, many!) years ago. It said something along the lines of, “You can do 99 things at 1%, or 1 thing at 99%.” Why it wasn’t 100/100%, I couldn’t say. Perhaps the 100% t-shirt was under copyright and my low-budget school had to get creative.
Anyway, the phrase affected me then and has stayed with me since. Not because I find it inspiring or even well-written, but because I disagree with the dichotomous simplicity of it. You either do a single thing well or you do a bunch of stuff poorly. That was never a truth in my worldview.
In reality, most of us are somewhere in the middle between 1 and 99 finding our own balance between the quantity of “things” and the percentage at which we’re able to do them well or even just the amount time we’re able to commit to each. But being constantly aware of what I commit to and how much time/money/energy I allocate each has served me well over the years, and I tend to credit that T-shirt for more than it deserves, probably.
Granted, for example, there are those who dedicate years to winning a gold medal at the Olympics and they focus on performing in their sport at 100%. But even those athletes are spending time on other objectives on the way to that goal. Many go to school, practice nutrition and wellness routines, have families, have hobbies, get involved in social communities and causes, etc. Each of those takes away from the time and energy they can put toward the 1 major goal (a gold medal), but each also adds something as well that makes the whole journey more special and perhaps plays a part in winning it ultimately.
The ever-shifting target
We are not simple creatures. We don’t do one single thing for a living or have one thing going on in our lives at a time. And we don’t always know what it is that we want to give our “all” (or nearest 100% possible) until we try doing 25 things at 4% each to figure it out. Think about it over the course of your life: how many can say they knew what they wanted to do when they were a child and grew up to do it? I was going to be a politician, an airline pilot, a music educator, a composer, an accountant, and countless other things before I happily stumbled into tech. Along the way, I dabbled in each area giving it a temporary high percentage of my time and energy (and money). I made a lot of mistakes, I did poorly in some things and excelled at others, and most importantly learned more about myself along the way.
Our paths don’t stick to the highways, and the detours can often end up taking us where we find unexpected joy and fulfillment. I used to think these detours were frustrating and that I’d just “wasted” a year of my life working toward becoming a soundtrack composer before I realized I wouldn’t be able to afford a roof over my piano. But the time I invested in becoming a composer was inspiring and let me grow in a creative and enchanting headspace. It challenged me, introduced me to new people, and brought me joy. I wouldn’t swap that year of personal growth for anything.
Define your own “good enough”
To this day, I still commit time and energy to playing piano, playing video games, and writing (among other things). It’s not realistic to think that anybody could be the next Hans Zimmer and a top-streaming video gamer and best-selling tech author simultaneously. We tend to focus our energy in specific areas more than the others and that lessens the likelihood that we’ll become a well-known professional in all of them, if even one of them. Aside from effort and time, it also takes skill and talent to excel (which is, of course, obtained with more effort and time than may be allocated to it).
Nonetheless, I still give piano my 10%. I know a handful of songs and can read music well enough that it helps me relax and brings me joy. An added perk is I get to play for my mom sometimes who loves hearing me play and that’s “good enough” for me. No, I won’t play at your wedding.
I play video games at 2%. It’s hilarious how many times I can lose or die or see “game over” before finishing a level. The time I commit to gaming is apparent in the quality at which I perform. But I enjoy doing it to fill free time and unwind now and then. I don’t have the energy or skill to set up a streaming channel and try to build a monetized platform with a fan base that will help boost me to an international stage. I just want to play now and then and maybe make some gamer friends online who won’t call me names when I bring shame to their squad. That’s “good enough” for me.
Also, I love to write and don’t expect myself to be Stephen King, but to be Nate Chamberlain whose words may help somebody get through something personal or may help somebody with a problem they’re having in SharePoint and make their day. I give writing 40%, and it has paid me back by introducing me to one of the strongest, most supportive and interesting communities I could ever imagine.
I’m far from perfect, and I don’t update blog posts as often as I should. But I get content out there that helps people, even if just for a couple months before it becomes outdated. If I help even one person with a blog post or book, that’s “good enough” for me. I don’t seek awards for my blog or hope to be a best-seller on Amazon – I write to help others and I cut off my effort and time commitment at 40% so I can spend time on other projects and dreams too.
Be bold and build a network with a growth mindset
Imagine if I refused to hit “Publish” until I felt a post or book was at 100%. I would have written far fewer than five books and 240 blog posts so far. I would’ve helped far fewer people and probably wouldn’t have spoken at as many conferences as I have because my sessions would also need that 100% commitment. I would’ve made a lot fewer mistakes, sure, but because I didn’t make those mistakes, I also wouldn’t have met or interacted with people in the community from all over the world.
I love the doors that open when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and humble. In my time as an imperfect volunteer community contributor, I’ve met people I otherwise would never meet that appreciated my imperfect content. And sometimes I meet people who let me know a solution is outdated or could be done more efficiently, and I get to learn and incorporate that new knowledge into improving my content. I usually start my sessions/talks letting the audience know that I’m not the only expert in the room, and there are great ideas and perspectives sitting all around them. I recognize these gatherings as opportunities to converse, not just lecture. I welcome audience members to chime in if they know of better methods or have helpful experiences to share when relevant.
Mistakes are valuable. Being upfront and honest when you don’t know something is also valuable. It opens the door for others to help you under less pressure, knowing you won’t snap at them for lending their experience and knowledge. I’ve learned more from mistakes and from being vulnerable and humble in my life than from all my smooth successes. Because I’m imperfect and I muster the courage to hit “Publish” or “Submit” on imperfect content and ideas, I’ve grown and have been able to use those experiences to create better content.
Growth is a process and we can navigate it slowly with careful steps or, if you’re like me, we can boldly venture forth with the best of intentions and a heaping spoonful of ambition hoping for the best. You’ll probably stumble along the way and may even get stuck in your head sometimes. That’s okay – just don’t give up and go to 0%. Come back to it, ask for help, make mistakes, be willing to have that growth mindset in everything you do. In my own growth journey, I am looking to make a difference in the community and help others while accepting help myself and allowing the community to challenge and inspire me.
Leave room for joy
Take the concept of embracing imperfection into whatever it is you’re giving your large percentages these days. By doing so, you’ll hopefully be reducing the stress and pressure from publishing, submitting, emailing, speaking, performing, etc. because you’ve decided to be okay with making mistakes and accepting feedback. You’ve adopted that growth mindset. You’ve chosen to see bumps along the way as opportunities rather than roadblocks and made whatever you’re doing more enjoyable.
We can also make our journey inclusive of others’ joy. Let’s say you’re the expert in the office on something and feel you’re usually the teacher instead of the student. But what would happen if you asked a colleague to explain something you feel like you already have a good grasp of? What’s the worst that could happen? You might learn something new, or at least see the concept from their perspective which could add value to your future collaboration. And if nothing else, you’ve made that person feel valued as a peer and expert. We have nothing to lose from exchanging ideas and knowledge with those around us, and much to gain from sharing the spotlight.
Because I’ve allowed myself to not take myself too seriously, I’ve left room for joy in the things I do in the community. If I put all my effort and energy into delivering a perfect session at a conference, I would be drained afterward and less likely to have 5-20% to commit to socializing with conference attendees later. That doesn’t mean I deliver poor sessions intentionally, but that I don’t expect myself to deliver 100%. I expect myself to simply do my best and be open to feedback. And because I’m not holding myself to perfection, I leave that room for joy.
I hope among your 99 things, you have room for joy. Be bolstered by your courage to be imperfect and find peace in doing those 99 things at less than 100%. Throw percentages out the window and give what matters to you your best. That’s all anyone can ask, and you have everything to gain and nothing to lose from that.
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