A Dare for Recovering Perfectionists

We spend most of adult life trying to be competent, polished, and vaguely impressive.This dare asks you to do the opposite.In this short Dare Day episode, Michelle shares a moment at the kitchen table with her kid that sparked an uncomfortable realisation: kids don’t care if they’re bad at things they care if they’re enjoying them. Somewhere along the line, we lost that.From sketching terrible T-shirt designs (and loving it anyway) to memories of being absolutely useless at roller skating but showing up regardless, this episode is about reconnecting with joy without turning it into a performance.Michelle breaks down why doing something you’re “bad at” feels so uncomfortable as an adult, what’s actually happening in your brain when resistance kicks in, and why separating your self-worth from outcomes might be one of the most important skills you can rebuild.In this episode, we cover:Why adults avoid activities with no clear “point” or payoffHow kids naturally enjoy the process — and what we unlearnedThe brain’s resistance response and why it tells you to be “productive” insteadWhy purpose doesn’t need an endpointHow practising failure in small, harmless ways builds resilience for the big stuffThe link between shame, performance, and self-worthThis week’s dare: The Ugly 15Set a timer for 15 minutes and do something you used to love as a kid — something you stopped because you weren’t very good at it.Sketch. Dance. Write a poem. Roller skate like Bambi on ice.No improving. No posting for validation. No turning it into a side hustle.Just process. Just fun. Just showing yourself that the world doesn’t end when you’re bad at something.Go be rubbish on purpose.It might be the bravest thing you do all week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.