Belief Comes Before Ability

We’ve all seen the videos parents take of their kids’ first steps. They’re wobbly and unsure, but then they take that first half step. Both parents cheer or cry, and the toddler lights up with a big smile.

It’s hard not to feel joy watching those kinds of moments. Now, I’m not a father, but I can imagine that before that first step comes weeks of trying, failing, and falling. If you think about it, growing up is all about trying new things everything from basic human functions to the sports we decide to try.

How often do we see children fail miserably at something they try for the first time, only to immediately get up, brush it off, and try again?

We forget that every skill we now take for granted eating, walking, even talking started with our younger selves working at it for months.

As we get older, we become less and less willing to be bad at something. How often do we start a new hobby, try to learn a new skill, or my personal favorite start running. We try, we fail...

And then that’s it. We don’t try again. We give up because we almost expect to be good at something right away. Most people are no longer willing to be bad at something first.

But the absolute truth in life is: in order to be good at anything, you first must be willing to be bad at it.

Do you think Usain Bolt put on a pair of running shoes and smashed a world record on his first try? Or that Michael Jordan picked up a basketball and instantly became the face of the NBA?

Of course not. Even the highest-level athlete or musician started out as a beginner—failing, learning, failing again, but doing it better each time.

The truth is, most people aren’t willing to stick with something long enough to get better at it, to the point where they actually enjoy it.

This is why I believe belief comes before ability. We must believe we can achieve something, even if we don’t yet have the ability to do it. That belief is what keeps us showing up day after day, working to improve.

Most people who sign up for a marathon can’t actually run a marathon at that moment. But they believe that with enough training, they’ll get there by race day.

At the time I’m writing this, I’m four weeks out from the longest run of my life: a 50-mile ultramarathon in the swamps of South Carolina. An ultramarathon is one of those rare events that not only tests your body—it tests your will.

I still find it hard to believe, sometimes, that I’ll be capable of running 50 miles in a single race. But I’m choosing to believe I can. And when we pair belief with the discipline and consistency to build real ability...

We can accomplish things we once thought were impossible.

But it starts with being willing to be bad at it first. Choosing the hard right over the easy wrong. And building the ability we’ve always dreamed of.

So go out and build it.

Have a great week!

GTY