On Failing Well When Learning: A Visual Nudge

“What if I am bad at this?” – this question haunts us every time we begin something new. 

This question confronted me whenever I ventured into an unknown territory with no prior experience – like speaking in public for the first time, taking up a completely new responsibility at work with no prior experience, starting my solo business, or even sharing my thoughts and raw sketchnotes online. 

Proficiency arrives quietly through repetition, sharing, feedback loops, and most importantly, by acting on the feedback. 

When stakes are low, possibility is our playground. Curiosity is our guide. Mistakes are data. And the real reward is in watching yourself evolve. Amy Edmondson calls this a process of Failing Well. 

If you are starting something new, give yourself permission to be visibly imperfect, while you work on getting better at it. 

P.S: This Visual Nudge is created by a human, not AI.