If you’re struggling with feelings of not being enough, of not doing enough, or you’re in the midst of a training slump, you’ll love today’s encouragement from Coach Liz Waterstraat.

We think of perfectionism manifesting in appearance and cleanliness. The perfect outfit. A spotless house. Knowing precisely what you’re talking about. Yet it also shows up as unrealized potential and stress: procrastination, negative self talk, self-sabotage. It’s the harsh inner critic. It’s avoiding opportunities. It’s convincing you to stay small, play it safe.

What if instead we embraced imperfectionism?

Imperfectionism is grounded in this core principle: Forward is better than perfect. As author Anne Lamott wrote, “Perfectionism means that you try not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived.” Lamott was right: Messiness in life is what we call experience. It’s where we learn. It’s how we flourish. And this learning process is perfectly forward progress.

Imperfectionism fosters authenticity, growth, and creativity. It calls for rough drafts, brainstorming sessions, and failures. It thrives on your unfiltered ideas and big risks. It implores you to come as you are, and sometimes to simply let it be.

Imperfectionism is getting in 15 minutes of a workout when you don’t have time for an hour. It’s signing up for a race when you’re not entirely sure you’ll PR or even be fully prepared. It’s showing up at the local track group regardless of your speed or how you look in run shorts. It’s trusting that by way of simply being a runner, you belong in running spaces. It’s knowing that every risky, fear-inducing step you take is action, and action is how you build confidence. And that confidence colludes with imperfectionism. While the perfectionists wait for the perfect moment to begin, the imperfectionist is out there living and learning.

So if you’re waiting for a sign, this is it. It’s time to let go and get started. Life is finite and flourishment is waiting for you, in the imperfect moments and messiness. Go forth to learn. To laugh. To, at times, appear utterly stupid. To make mistakes. To feel in over your head. You might not win or even nail it. But chances are you’ll be changed—a more authentic, fulfilled, “im”perfect version of yourself.