Is it a setback or a step forward?

The safety trolls would have a field day with this one. (Dutch Nationaal Archief)

You could say that the point of making something is to have that thing when you’re done.

But if that were truly the case then it would be more economical (sometimes in terms of time and money) to just go buy whatever it is that you’re trying to make. Chances are, you can find it at a low-cost retailer for a fraction of of what you would spend on buying the materials, let alone the opportunity cost of the time spent making a thing.

However, despite the fact that we’re making something for the fun of making it, it can be very frustrating as a maker to experience the frequent phenomenon of false starts and mess-ups. It’s tempting to want to focus on the time that we spend visibly bringing the scarf or the painting or the bookshelf into being. However the time spent planning, preparing, fixing, and troubleshooting, along with scrapping it and starting over, is just as valid.

Recently, I undertook the task of knitting a hat for a family member. I was using a pattern that I’ve used before, so I figured it would be a fairly straightforward (and quick) process. However, I had significant trouble with my knitting needles. Somehow, one of the tips kept popping up off of the cord. The other one was fine; it was just this one tip that was giving me fits. Every two minutes or so, I would feel the tension relax and would have to go rescue a bunch of stitches that were threatening to fall right off the needle.

This was rather frustrating. That said, I have to acknowledge that the process of working on this problem was very fruitful, even if the work product amounted to nothing. I got a lot faster at putting stitches back on the needle, especially during high stress situations; I increased my tolerance for frustration; and I found a good way to solve the problem of the needles not clicking into place by using a rubber band to help get a grip on them.

I suppose I’d rather have a finished hat than a bunch of failed attempts, but it’s undeniable that those attempts taught me something and provided me with an opportunity for growth. I have to admit that identifying and fixing the mistakes I’ve made have made me a much better knitter then the moments when everything was going smoothly according to plan. Those hours weren’t wasted, even though the knitted object didn’t appear to get any closer to being done.

I see the same dynamic with my husband, who works with wood. There are so many times when a tiny change of technique can make something much better – and plenty of times when it can inadvertently make something much worse beyond repair. (Luckily, trees are renewable resource.) The bowl with a hole in it or the board with a bevel that was too small are added to the firewood pile or remain as refrigerator art, a testament to the ups and downs of the learning process. It’s hard to have a sense of humor about losing an entire day’s work, but it helps to consider what was actually gained in the process.

Whatever you’re learning, you can look at each misstep as a failure. You can worry that you’re falling behind or that you don’t have what it takes to succeed at your chosen endeavor. But a more useful and motivating way of seeing the challenge ahead is to understand that these challenges – these missteps, mistakes, and delays — are, in themselves, steps forward even if they don’t result in a perfect finished piece for you.

The way you choose to interpret your work – your success or failure – can make a huge difference in your level of enjoyment of that work. It can also have a profound impact on your results. When were feeling good about something and have a sense of possibility about the future and our ability to find ultimate success, we’re much more likely to stick with it and see it through.

You can view an obstacle or a challenge as a setback, or you can see it as a normal part of the learning process. What if what you’re calling a setback is actually a step forward? How does that change the way you approach the task ahead?