We often picture progress as a relentless upward climb—a straight line from mediocre to masterful. This intimidating image keeps us frozen at the base of the mountain. What if the secret first step isn’t climbing at all, but giving yourself a written, official Permission Slip to be bad, to be small, and to be inconsistent? This is not about making excuses; it’s about strategically removing the invisible psychological barriers that block your path.
The Hidden Barrier: The Tyranny of “Good Enough”
Before we even begin, we compare our imagined first effort to the polished final products we see in the world (or in our minds). The gap feels cavernous. Our inner critic, acting as a ruthless gatekeeper, says, “If you can’t do it well, don’t do it at all.” So we don’t. The Permission Slip practice silences the gatekeeper by changing the rules of entry.
How to Write Your Permission Slip
Take an actual piece of paper. Write “OFFICIAL PERMISSION SLIP” at the top. Then, complete these sentences with ruthless, liberating honesty:
- “I, [Your Name], hereby give myself full permission to…”
- “…write a terrible first draft.”
- “…sing off-key in the car with the windows down.”
- “…take blurry, poorly composed photos while I learn.”
- “…ask ‘stupid’ questions in the meeting.”
- *”…do a 5-minute workout instead of an hour.”*
- “The goal is not quality. The goal is to…”
- “…prove to myself I can start.”
- “…remember what play feels like.”
- “…learn one thing about the process.”
- “…establish a habit, however tiny.”
- “I understand that this will likely be…”
- “…awkward.”
- “…messy.”
- …”forgettable.”
- “…embarrassing if anyone saw it.”
- “…and that is perfectly, 100% okay.”
Sign and date it. Place it where you’ll see it before you begin your practice.
The Science of the Allowed “Flaw”
This act works because it engages a powerful cognitive shift:
- It moves the goalpost from outcome to process. Success is no longer “a beautiful painting,” but “the act of mixing colors on a palette for 15 minutes.”
- It legitimizes the learning phase. By formally permitting clumsiness, you re-frame early efforts as a necessary and honorable stage, not a personal failure.
- It reduces performance anxiety. When you have permission to fail, the threat is removed. Your nervous system calms down, and your prefrontal cortex—the part needed for focus and creativity—can come back online.
When to Use This Powerful Tool
- Starting Something New: Learning an instrument, a language, a software.
- Rebooting a Lapsed Habit: Returning to exercise, writing, or meditation after a break.
- Doing “Vulnerable” Work: Creating art, sharing personal writing, pitching an idea.
- Prioritizing Play: Engaging in an activity with no professional goal, like gardening or crafting, just for joy.
The Ripple Effect: From Permission to Identity
The first Permission Slip is for a single task. But as you repeatedly act on these slips, something subtle changes. You begin to internalize the permission. You move from:
- “I am allowed to write badly” → to → “I am a writer who writes.”
- “I am allowed to be a beginner at yoga” → to → “I am a person who practices.”
The identity is built on action, not on excellence. The Permission Slip is the gentle lie that leads you to the deeper truth: that you are capable of growth, and growth is inherently messy.
Your First Assignment:
Write a Permission Slip for the thing you’ve been putting off. Make it gloriously, deliberately lenient. Then, immediately use it. The only real failure is letting the blank, unforgiving standard win. Let the signed slip be your passport to a more playful, progressive, and compassionate path.