Happy Friday!
I can’t get this quote from Sara Blakely (founder of Spanx) out of my head:
“When my brother and I were growing up, my father would encourage us to fail. We’d sit around the dinner table, and he’d ask, “What did you guys fail at this week?” If we had nothing to tell him, he’d be disappointed. The logic seems counterintuitive, but it worked beautifully.
He knew that many people become paralyzed by the fear of failure. They’re constantly afraid of what others will think if they don’t do a great job and, as a result, take no risks. My father wanted us to try everything and feel free to push the envelope. His attitude taught me to define failure as not trying something I want to do instead of not achieving the right outcome.”
This idea just FIRES me up! So much of what you and I want from life will require facing off with the fear of failure.
So this week’s I of I is all about taking action and then maybe we will have stories to share over the dinner table about how we “failed” this week:
Ideas for Intentionality
Homeschool: If all else fails on a homeschool day, if I can spend some time reading the Bible with the kids, get time outside, and read aloud out of a chapter book, the school day still feels like a win. This is the series I am reading aloud right now. And wow have I learned a ton as a mama about reframing failure and being gritty as a family.
Movement: It feels like a total win to just MOVE some every day. But I have some injuries that are keeping me from moving at my best. These bands have been so great to do the PT my husband prescribed for me. I am trying to strengthen my glutes and get back to running within the year. This is one of the exercises I do with the band, but I bet the options are endless.
Motherhood: Feel like a failure in motherhood at time? Whew, hand raised over here! One book that has put courage in me for the mothering journey is this one. I trust the heart of Jennifer Pepito (founder of The Peaceful Press) so much. She is real and raw in this book and her vulnerability is a blessing to many.
Online Work: Have you ever considered starting a blog or a YouTube channel? These two projects have had me take the fear of failure straight on, but they have also been so rewarding. This is the course I took to learn both. What I love about blogging and YouTube is that I can be a help to other women all while I spend most of my time at home with the kids. And if you ever get started on either of these journeys, let me know and you will have me cheering you on!
Challenge: I have failed at 75 Hard altogether 4 times now. I love how this challenge is true to its name, HARD. But when I am doing 75 hard I am reading, drinking water, moving, and working towards a goal. We made 40+ days when we had a death in the family last year, but those 40 days were far from a waste. I am a week into doing it again and it has helped me battle some postpartum depression that is ebbing in and out for me lately.
Quote for the week: “These supposed failures are not really failures, they’re data points that we need to figure out how to succeed.” –Feel Good Productivity
Sending love,
Lana
P.S. Want to learn how to take on failure, this podcast has been on repeat for me lately.
Pregnant P.S. Congrats to Labor Without Fear students Mollie, Lauren, and Sabrina on having your babies! So happy for you all! Hearing your birth stories is always my favorite happy mail! 🫶🫶🫶