Improvement Often Lives Just Beyond “Not Quite Right Yet”

Confidence does not only come from everything going smoothly. Often it grows when the body meets a wobble, reacts well, and recovers - showing us that steadiness is not perfection, but the ability to respond and reorganise.

Today gave a very good example of that.

A participant was doing what I call seesaws (an advanced exercise) — balancing face down over a large gym ball, with the ball under the pelvis, hands on the floor, and the legs extended behind. From there, gentle press-ups lift the feet as the shoulders lower, and then everything returns to level again.

At one point, the ball rolled slightly sideways as they moved. For a moment, it looked as though they might slide off.

There were a few sounds of surprise.

But then something rather wonderful happened.

Their balance reactions kicked in; They adjusted; They found the centre again; And they carried on.

No fear. No fuss. Just the body doing exactly what it is designed to do.

That moment mattered.

And it was even more satisfying when I remembered that this same person had broken their wrist last autumn. Not so long ago, loading through that arm would have felt very different.

That is why moments like this are worth noticing.

Confidence does not come only from everything going perfectly.

Very often, it grows when we discover that we can wobble and recover.

That is a different kind of trust.

Not trust that nothing will ever go off line, but trust that the body can respond, reorganise, and find its way back.

That is one reason a well-judged challenge matters.

If everything is always perfectly controlled, there is less chance to discover what is possible. But when the challenge is appropriate, the body has the opportunity to practise reacting, adjusting, and recovering.

That is where real learning often happens.

Not in perfection. But just beyond “not quite right yet”.

And that is often where improvement lives too.

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