Can admitting failure actually be a big WIN?
Aug 5th, 2010 by jenzug
“DOH!”
I’m co-hosting a baby shower tonight at a friend’s house. In the planning, I offered to create a hand made paper garland and bake a dessert, in addition to collecting up other various supplies and running errands for the event.
What was I thinking?
I didn’t create hand made paper garlands or bake desserts even when I wasn’t working! If you’ve been to my house you know I barely push a broom, much less get all Martha Stewarty.
Yet for some reason I feel this pressure to perform as a mother, to just make it work – as if Tim Gunn checks in on me every hour to see how the hem of my life is coming along.
(It’s fraying, Tim! Absolutely FRAYING.)
Last night I sent my friend a frantic email announcing I would instead be bringing store-bought streamers and dessert. As a fellow over-achiever, she completely understood.
Can admitting failure actually be a big WIN?
Be warned: what you see here is not my best work. It is what Anne Lamott describes in Bird By Bird as a series of “shitty first drafts.” Blogging dragged me kicking and screaming out of creative constipation by getting me to actually write. So I do that. A lot. Without worrying about every word choice or comma placement.
Want to know more? Read my full 
I was looking for a more epic fail. You’re satisfying all the functional requirements, plus demonstrating the virtue of honesty for the rest of us to live up to. Quit raising the bar little miss overachiever!