This is the most valuable lesson I've ever received.

Just go for it. Also, don't surrender quickly.

That's it for the short version. Of course, there's a lot more to be stated behind those little phrases.

Don't wait for everything to be perfect before you start.

They never will be. Too many of us, however, put off publishing a book, writing a poem, or participating in a race because we believe we are not yet flawless at our trade. Will we, however, ever be? Nope. Putting things "out there" is typically the best motivator to keep continuing and improving.

Perfectionism is generally characterised as a desire to be or look flawless, or even to believe that perfection is achievable. It's usually regarded as a strength rather than a weakness. The term "healthy perfectionism" is sometimes used to characterise or defend perfectionistic conduct.

Furthermore, we humans are prone to fallacies like the toolbox fallacy or impostor syndrome.

I'm not sure how we can totally overcome this human inclination, but we can certainly strive to overcome it. Accept that we don't feel worthy, or that we aren't yet good enough, and take the jump. Publish it, take it on, apply for that job, enter that competition.

What are these?

The Toolbox Fallacy is the notion that if this or that were in order, you would be doing something, even though you haven't done it in a long time. While, if you don't have everything you need, or think you need (imagine oil paints for an artist or 350$ shoes for a runner) you will not be able to do what you want to do successfully. For example, only with your very expensive shoes, you will be able to go daily for a 10km run, while without you can't. Other running shoes are just not the right thing, so better stay at home.

Impostor syndrome (IS) is a psychological state in which you believe you are not as capable as others believe you are. While this concept is most often attributed to intelligence and success, it also has connections to perfectionism and social environment.

To put it another way, impostor syndrome is the sensation of feeling like a con man and as if you're about to be discovered as a fraud—as if you don't belong where you are and were only there by chance. It may impact anyone, regardless of their socioeconomic class, employment history, skill level, or level of experience.

We gotta start thinking: What's the worst that can happen?

You will never know success if you have never experienced failure.

And, oh, how tough it is to accept. Isn't it tough to take the risk when failure may be lurking below? Like a terrifying unknown abyss.

And, while this may not persuade you, all of the "greatest" (or so-called "greatest") have failed. Failed in athletics, failed in business, and published a mediocre book.

You may do your own study on "great people who failed before succeeding," but my favourites are the ones about finding purpose after failure. If you have Netflix, I suggest viewing "Losers", a docuseries.

So, what's the big deal? So, what happens when I "just do it"? You keep going.

Passion and tenacity, rather than IQ or fortune, are increasingly being recognised as the true keys to success. So much so that they should be the title of a DJ Khaled composition.

You fall seven times and get up eight times. However, if you fall 70 times, it might be time to try a different path... That is, however, a story for another day. For the time being, let's return to our initial point!

What is the most crucial lesson I've ever learned?

Just go for it and don't give up.