Practice what you preach: Just try it!

I’ve spent years telling kids the same thing:

“Just try it.”

And yet I need to hear those words just as much as they do.

I wouldn’t consider myself a perfectionist, but there are plenty of things I haven’t started simply because I didn’t think I would be good at them. More specifically, it’s not actually about the fear of failing — it’s the fear of losing something. It’s the fear that I’ll fall in love with whatever it is, but I won’t have the capability or capacity to finish. And then I’ll have to say goodbye.

So why even try?

(If I’m really honest, sometimes the laundry falls into this category too.)

As a gymnastics coach, I’ve heard hundreds of kids say, “I can’t do it.”

My answer is always:

“That’s why you’re here. You can’t do it yet.”

That little word changes everything.

You aren’t supposed to already know how to do something you’ve never done before. Learning is the process of trying, adjusting, experimenting, and trying again.

I get way nerdy about breaking gymnastics skills down and figuring out the steps that help someone go from “I can’t” to “I did it!” It’s one of my favorite things — helping people realize that something that feels impossible might just need a few small steps, more time, or a little support.

Some of the most exciting moments have come while coaching. But the most incredible moments I’ve had the privilege to witness is watching women push themselves through something they thought was impossible — literally and figuratively — and then moments later become mothers. Watching people discover what their bodies are capable of has always been amazing to me.

But now I’m a mom myself, and I’m realizing that I need to practice what I’ve spent years teaching.

Motherhood has brought so many beautiful things, but it has also made me feel like I’m learning who I am all over again. There are many days when I don’t feel strong, capable, or brave.

So here I am, at another intimidating starting point, reminding myself:

Just try it.