The Moment I Faceplanted (And Why I’m Grateful)
I hope you are having a great week so far! 🥰
A few months ago, after 15 years of avoiding gyms, I walked into a group fitness class. I stood paralyzed in front of a 20-inch plyo box.
The instructor said, “Jump!” My body froze. What if I fall? What if everyone laughs? 😖
The trainer held out her hands: “I’ve got you.”
I jumped.
I missed.
The box crashed. I landed on my back. Mortified!! 😱
I avoided the box for months but then came the time to try again last week.
I was terrified! The mental block was still there! But with the help and encouragement of an amazing trainer, I made it!! Woohoo!!!
✨ Here’s what this experience taught me about fear, and growth:
1. Fear Distorts Reality 🌏
The box wasn’t the problem—my story about the box was. Fear convinced me the jump was impossible before I even tried. How often do we do this? We inflate challenges into monsters: “I’ll never get that promotion.” “What if I embarrass myself?”
Fear isn’t a warning—it’s a fog. It shrinks when you step forward.
Deeper Takeaway: Fear and failure are not the same. One is a feeling; the other is feedback.
2. Community Is a Catalyst 👭
The trainer didn’t roll her eyes. She said, “That's ok, let’s try again.” Her belief in me outweighed my self-doubt. Growth rarely happens alone. Whether it’s a mentor, a friend, or even a stranger who says, “You’ve got this,” leaning on others isn’t weakness—it’s wisdom.
Deeper Takeaway: Surround yourself with people who see your potential, even when you can’t. Their faith becomes your fuel.
3. Failure Is a Mirror 💎
Falling taught me two things:
My stance was off (I had no idea how to do a box jump! ).
I didn’t trust my strength (I’d been stronger than I realized).
Failure doesn’t mean “you can’t.” It means “adjust and try again.” In work, relationships, or creativity, missteps reveal gaps in our preparation, mindset, or execution. They’re data, not destiny.
Deeper Takeaway: Don’t resent failure—interrogate it. What is it trying to teach you?
4. Progress Lives in the “Almost” 👏
For weeks, I stepped up, not jumped up on the box. But those “almosts” built the muscle to finally stick the landing. We glorify big wins, but growth happens in the grind—the drafts no one sees, the rejected proposals, the awkward conversations.
Deeper Takeaway: Consistency isn’t glamorous, but it’s the only way to close the gap between “almost” and “enough.”
5. Resilience Is a Decision 💫
Walking out that day would’ve been easy. Staying meant facing my shame.
Resilience isn’t about gritting your teeth; it’s choosing to believe the struggle is part of the story, not the end of it.
Now, when I face a “box jump moment” (hello, sales pitches!), I ask: “What’s the worst that can happen? And what if it goes right?”
The Box Jump Theory of Life 📦
We all have 20-inch boxes—projects that intimidate, risks that scare us, changes that feel too big. But the magic isn’t in nailing the jump on the first try. It’s in refusing to let the fall define you.
Six months later, I still don't love box jumps. But I love the person they’re helping me become: someone who’s more afraid of staying the same than of stumbling.
P.S . Want to jump higher? Start by jumping scared. 🤸♀️
