Resilience Resume – Dr. Crystal Lucky

Crystal Lucky, PhD | Associate Dean of Baccalaureate Studies, CLAS, Professor of English

“So I almost failed at this assignment! I missed the deadline for submitting my contribution to the Resilience Resume Project! How’s that for failure? For doers, go-getters, high achievers like us, I have learned that one aspect of failure is learning how to cope with, navigate and negotiate the desire for perfection. For, as Winston Churchill aptly asserted, “perfection is the enemy of progress.” That is where I have experienced my moments of profound failure—failing to make progress on a project, paper, book or new venture because everything was not perfect. Too many times than I care to recall, I have found myself defeated before I even got started, wallowing in frustration and self-pity because I haven’t done what I said I was going to do. Why? Because I wasn’t satisfied with the first sentence, or my initial plans didn’t “wow” me or I gained a pound after starting a new lifestyle change instead of hitting my goal weight overnight. So what did I do? I sat still, which ultimately worked against me because I didn’t move forward. I have finally learned that there is no such thing as perfect. Every draft needs a rewrite. Every blueprint needs revising. Every stumble needs a doover. So this year, I’m going to make progress instead of trying to produce perfection. That. Defeats. Failure.”

Dr. Lucky’s Resilience Resume Social Media Post

By Dan Luner
Dan Luner Digital Media & Assessment Specialist