The Art of Winning & Learning
There’s winning and learning. That’s the hard lesson I learned playing tennis. I am a super competitive person, so shifting my mindset has been a huge challenge. But I can admit it now, it’s actually true. Of course, we’d all rather be winning all the time, but losing now and then can be a golden opportunity lying in wait.
Here’s my secret to growing from losing: It’s called FFO. Forgive the French, but that stands for “F’ing figure it out.” I can’t remember where I heard that but it’s become my life mantra and incidentally, my go-to parenting style when I don’t want to deal with something. (I win parent of the year a lot around here).
Last winter I got the wild idea to reupholster my huge, curvy couch, which was covered in dog drool stains, faded and an eyesore. Had I done upholstery before? No. Was I going to put on my cape and apply a little FFO in the She-Shed? Heck yeah.
It was in this exact moment I had to calculate my risk tolerance. The couch was dead. I was either going to have to buy a new one (expensive) or I could give it a try (free-ish). If it failed, I could always hire someone else to recover it (less expensive) or just drag it to the curb. For those playing along at home, that would be Couch 1, Ellie 0. And so, after watching some You Tube videos, I stripped that couch bare and got to work. There was no turning back.
This project definitely took longer than I thought and my house was a mess of staples and fabric scraps. It was looking like a draw at best. Yet I knew if I persevered I could win or at the very least, ahem, learn. Long story short, Couch 0, Ellie – 1! It was a hard-fought victory, requiring a few do-overs, more trips to the store and yet more videos. But in the end, my belief that I could FFO didn’t let me down.
People sometimes tell me “Oh, you’re so talented”. Maybe I am, and I thank them for the compliment. Mostly, I just keep trying new things and I don’t give up. So, don’t sell yourself short, embrace your inner FFO, and you will too will rack up many wins, not just in the She-Shed, but in life!
Wishing you many winning adventures!
As Ever,
