Getting Comfortable With Being Rubbish

I believe the one thing that puts most of us off from starting something new is the fear of sucking at it.

We’re comfortable with what we know, with what we’re good at. So why would we voluntarily decide to be rubbish at something and suffer in the process?

Starting something new, I believe, requires three things:

1. A clear vision of what you desire

2. A reason for wanting it that’s rooted in your core values

3. An understanding that it will most definitely suck at the start

   
   

That last point? We conveniently forget it.

A little over a year ago, someone explained the concept of "finding your why" to me. I kept hearing it tossed around—find your why, know your why—and I had no clue what it meant. Most of the time, my reason for doing things was simply because I had to. But that’s not a why.

Your why is deeper. It's the anchor behind your actions, the fuel behind your fire.

With that why, you move forward intentionally. Your goal has purpose. There’s energy behind your effort. Without it, it's like pushing custard uphill—technically possible, but a complete and total struggle.

Your why is what makes the early-stage sucking bearable.

Because here’s the truth: when we take on something new, we usually start excited. We feel lit up, ready, eager. We love the idea of it. But that excitement fades quickly once we realize we’re starting from absolute zero—learning every single piece from scratch. And that, my friend, is a slow and often painful process.

It’s easy to want to give up here.This is where most dreams go to die.

That’s why your why has to stay front and center. This is the moment to strap in. Sign up to be the fool for a while.

No one likes being the beginner, the one who doesn’t know what they’re doing. It’s uncomfortable. It feels alien.

And that? That’s exactly where I am right now.

My Why

I’ve quit a stable job to chase a dream I don’t fully know how to make real yet. I’m building something that matters deeply to me—Feral Growth. I created it because I went through so much without the right guidance, without the support I needed. Now, I want to be that support for others.

My mission is to help people, especially those struggling to find their footing—people who’ve been through pain, who feel lost, who want to reclaim their power. I want to help them realise they are strong, capable, and in control of their lives.

That’s my why.

It’s not about likes or sales or being seen as successful. It’s about making a difference. It’s about standing for something I believe in: authenticity, courage, reflection, and taking action even when it’s hard.

Some days I feel like I’m on fire. Other days I feel like I’m fumbling in the dark. But I come back to that why—and it reminds me why I started.

Reframing “Sucking” as Strength

Sucking at something doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re learning. It means you’re brave enough to start.

That awkward phase? That’s not a sign you should quit. It’s a sign you’re growing.

Nobody ever got better without going through the mud first.

Tips for Surviving the Suck

If you’re in the thick of it right now—if you’ve started something new and you’re wondering if you made a huge mistake—here are a few things that help me keep going:

• Keep your why visible. Write it down. Stick it somewhere you'll see every day.

• Break your goal into small steps. Don’t try to leap a mountain in one go. One tiny win at a time.

• Celebrate progress. Even the smallest win is a sign you’re moving.

• Surround yourself with support. Find the people who cheer you on even when you're not getting it right.

  
  

Reflect On This

• What’s something you’ve wanted to start but haven’t, simply because you're scared to be bad at it?

• What’s your why for wanting it?

• Can you give yourself permission to suck at it for a while?

  
  

Write it down. Say it out loud. Be brave enough to begin.

Final Thoughts

No one likes being the beginner. But that beginner—that fool who shows up anyway—is the person who becomes great. The person who holds the dream long enough to let it live.

Be willing to be that person.

Be willing to suck at something that matters to you.

Because the ones who win aren’t the ones who had it all figured out—they’re the ones who didn’t quit when it got hard.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” — Zig Ziglar

“Every expert was once a beginner who didn’t quit.”

“Be willing to suck at something new.”

You’ve got this. Start messy. Start scared. But start.