GNT #156: So… I Messed Up

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TL;DR: One mistake doesn’t erase years of disciplined work. Build standards... and flexibility.

Last week, I double sent my newsletter.

Two separate, carefully written emails went out at the exact same time.

I stared at my screen trying to understand what I was looking at. Then I felt it in my body before my brain fully caught up. My heart started beating faster. I got hot. I actually took off my flannel because I suddenly felt flushed.

I’ve been writing this newsletter weekly for over three years. Through busy seasons. Through travel. Through client launches. Through life.

I pride myself on being steady.

And the thought that came up immediately wasn’t, “Oops.”

It was: “I don’t do that.”

That reaction caught my attention. I heard myself think that.

Because this wasn’t really about two emails.

It was about standards.

When you’ve shown up consistently for a long time, that consistency becomes part of your identity. You stop thinking of it as something you do and start thinking of it as something you are.

I am consistent.
I am careful.
I am disciplined.

Those are qualities I value deeply.

But when something small disrupts that image, it feels louder than it objectively is.

A few people unsubscribed. That’s normal. People unsubscribe every week for all kinds of reasons. Most people probably skimmed both emails and moved on with their day.

Nothing catastrophic happened.

What felt uncomfortable was the crack in the image I hold of myself.

I could feel the narrative trying to form.

You messed up.
You overwhelmed people.
You lost a week of content.
You should be better than this.

But I actually slowed down enough this time to realize something important.

For over three years, I’ve shown up here consistently. One scheduling error does not erase that body of work. It doesn’t suddenly mean I’m careless or slipping.

It means I’m human.

And humans who build things will occasionally miss a step.

There’s a subtle risk that comes with high standards. The longer we maintain them, the more tightly we can attach them to who we believe we are. And when identity gets rigid, even a small mistake can feel threatening.

Not because the mistake is big, but because it challenges the story.

→ If you are someone who builds in public, leads a team, runs a business, or holds yourself to a high bar, this will happen to you.

Something will slip. A detail will get missed or a plan will misfire.

The question isn’t whether you can eliminate those moments entirely. The question is whether your identity can absorb them without collapsing.

High standards are a gift. They build trust. They create momentum. They shape character.

But sustainable excellence requires a little space inside the identity. Enough space to say, “That wasn’t my best moment,” without turning it into, “This is who I am now.”

After I took a breath and let my nervous system settle, the situation became much less dramatic.

I tightened up my content calendar.
I added one small extra check to my scheduling process.
I made a note and moved on.

5 years ago, I would have dwelled on this for weeks. I'm here to tell you that real change in how you respond to life is possible. I'm proud of that. No grand reset. No internal character attack.

Just a small adjustment inside a long body of consistent work.

That’s the kind of steadiness and life I actually want to build.

Takeaway

Here's the reminder for today.

If you hold yourself to high standards, you will eventually bump into the edges of them.

That doesn’t mean you’ve lost your discipline or your edge.

It means you’re doing meaningful work in the real world.

→ Consistency builds trust. And flexibility builds longevity.

You need both for the long game.

I'm always rooting for you. See you next week.

-Colleen

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