You are Good Enough for Yourself

If someone were to ask me what my biggest weakness is, I would tell them it is setting self-induced expectations and being hard on myself when I do not achieve them. I think as FFA members and leaders a lot of us probably struggle with this issue. In the most stressful times of my life, I find that the main reason I am worrying is because I doubt that I can do it. I could have the biggest support system in the world, but I still do not have faith in myself. If I don’t meet those expectations, I start to feel like I am not good enough.

Setting self-induced expectations is a struggle because sometimes I let it define my experience. For example, my goal may be to get first place at a contest. If I were to place lower, I would feel disappointed in myself for not reaching my goal. Since I am disappointed in myself, I have a hard time learning from that experience. I start to feel like I’ve wasted my time, or should have worked harder, or that maybe this contest just isn’t what I am good at. This negative self talk isn’t good for me because it causes me not to reflect on what I have learned and gained from the experience; I just jump to the negative thoughts. One way I have tried to overcome this challenge is by focusing on what I could have improved about my performance. Maybe I could have memorized it a little better or spent more time researching and fact checking. I try to learn from my experiences and assure myself that what I have accomplished is still something to be proud of. It’s not always about the outcome of a single event, but the journey. It’s more important to learn a lesson in hard work, than to bring home a banner or plaque.

These feelings are struggles that I still face, and I haven’t found a perfect solution or way to overcome it yet. However, I continue to work in those stressful times to reassure myself that I can do it. One simple practice I do is just finding confidence in the work that I have put into it. For example, if it is a CDE or LDE I tell myself that I am prepared and ready for the contest I am about to go into. If it is an interview, I try to center myself by focusing on the questions I have practiced in preparation.

Although it’s virtually impossible to be 100% perfect at this skill, I enjoy challenging myself to become better at it. No matter the outcome, remember that you are always good enough for yourself.

With love,

Kaitlyn Maruszewski

2024-2025 District V Vice President

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