The Benefit of Feeling like an Idiot

The Benefit of Feeling Like an Idiot

At the end of January, we hosted a teambuilding event for one of our clients. We’ve done many of these over the years, and I always look forward to them. But I was not looking forward to this one. When Shinell told me about her plan for this event sometime during November, the first thing I said was, “I can’t make it, I’m going to be sick on that day.” Her suggestion shook me to my core: We are going to dance…

Every part of me wanted to fight back. Immediately, my mind raced to find reasons why we could not do it. All because I suck at dancing. I like the idea of being good at it and have great admiration for people who have mastered the art, but it has just never been my thing. I’ve always been more of a kick-catch-and-throw balls around type of guy. Shinell did not listen to my whining, and we decided that was that.

We did not tell anyone what we had planned, just that they needed to be prepared to move around on the day. When they saw the group of dance instructors we had hired to take us through our paces, they realised the plan, and a barrage of evil side glances was fired our way. Out of a group of 30 people, four were excited about what they were going to be doing for the next six hours.

Long story short: Everybody eventually got into it, learned their routine and performed in front of the group. Even me. And all of us lived to tell the tale.

For most people in the developed world, comfort has become the norm. Whenever we experience anything that deviates from it, we do our best to get comfy again as soon as possible. We enjoy air conditioning, financial buffers, sitting on the couch, sticking to what we know and yoga pants. Some people even go as far as to wear Crocs.

The reasoning behind inviting our clients to spend a day dancing was to remind ourselves that being uncomfortable is not as daunting as we can make it out to be. Life will inevitably require us to step out of our comfort zones, to do things and go places we haven’t mastered yet. But if we shy away from everything that makes us uncomfortable, we inevitably end up feeling and being stuck. If we aren’t willing to look foolish in front of people we know well for a couple of hours, how likely are we to lean into doing the uncomfortable things that really matter in the bigger picture of our lives?

Learning a new skill, asking someone out on a date or to marry you, having a difficult conversation, applying for a challenging role, moving to a new city, taking the next step in life or ending a chapter, starting a business, becoming a parent – all examples of things that make you feel like you have no idea what you are doing. And that’s okay. Do them anyway!

• It keeps you humble and reminds you what it feels like to be a beginner (And that it won’t kill you)
• Growth is fundamentally uncomfortable, and anything that is not growing is essentially dead
• Keep exploring the unknown territories of your life map that might contain the best surprises

At the end of the teambuilding event, I was glad that I participated. I went in with an enthusiastic attitude and got the job done, although I was VERY nervous and sweaty throughout. My dancing is probably 3% better than before, but that was not the point. Rather, I also needed reminding that there are important benefits to opening yourself up to feeling like an idiot.

As always, thank you for reading. Have a great weekend!

If you are having a difficult time trying to stay in your own lane and set healthy habits to avoid the downside of comparison, get in touch. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.

At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.