You’re Not Dumb, You’re Inexperienced

It took me years to learn that simple thing.

For instance, when I started freelance content marketing in 2021, I didn’t know how to write well. I wasn’t good at content marketing. And I had no clue how to find clients.

None of those were problems. I was starting something new. It’s normal not to know everything.

The real problem was how I saw myself when I made mistakes. Every time I did something wrong or didn’t know how to do something, I thought I was dumb.

This crushed my confidence. I began to doubt myself and wonder if I was even on the right path.

Instead of focusing on learning, I wasted time overthinking. I thought I wasn’t good enough. And I began to believe I was incapable.

I was actually stupid. Because I didn’t realize this simple truth: I wasn’t dumb. I was just inexperienced.

There’s a big difference between being inexperienced and being dumb. When you’re new to something, you’re simply inexperienced. It means you won’t be great right away. You’ll struggle, make mistakes, and maybe even have people laugh at you. And that’s okay.

A lot of people are afraid to start something new because they don’t want to fail. They want to be perfect from the start. This fear of making mistakes stops them from taking action.

And what’s the cost of not taking action and avoiding mistakes? You stay stuck. You don’t learn. You don’t reach your goals, and time passes by.

From my experience, the regret of not trying is way more painful than simply making mistakes.

I didn’t want that regret. So, I gave myself permission to try new things and make lots of mistakes. I started learning from books and courses, practiced SEO and copywriting on my website, got rejected by clients, worked for low-paying clients to gain experience, learned the business side of freelancing, developed confidence and mental toughness, worked with high-paying clients, and so on.

You still have time. So, make those mistakes as soon as possible without judging yourself, without seeing yourself as dumb, keeping in mind that it’s part of the process. That’s how you become experienced. And that’s how you make sure you won’t have any regrets but plenty of crazy stories to tell when you’re 80.