The surprisingly freeing joy of being bad at something

The article argues that the real shortcut out of burnout is to give yourself permission to be bad at something. When you stop demanding instant competence, the pressure that chokes curiosity disappears and you can start experimenting without fear of judgment. This mindset shift is presented as a practical antidote to the self-imposed standards that keep many leaders stuck in narrow, productivity-only loops.

Concrete examples illustrate the point: the author recounts trying to speak French, stumbling over pronunciation and grammar, yet still managing to say a single sentence out loud. That moment of deliberate imperfection sparked a sense of fun and opened the door to incremental improvement. The narrative shows how each small, low-stakes attempt builds confidence, turning "terrible" into "okay" and eventually into competence without the usual performance anxiety.

For technical leaders, the takeaway is clear: modeling vulnerability and encouraging teams to experiment in a low-risk environment restores play, fuels creativity, and combats burnout. When leaders stop demanding flawless execution from the start, they create space for learning, innovation, and sustainable growth, ultimately strengthening both individual morale and team performance.