The Day I’ll Never Forget 

When I was in fourth grade in Mrs. Fogg’s Chicago classroom, each of us had to do a science project.

I decided to demonstrate the “cup and paper” trick — showing how a simple piece of paper could hold water in an upside-down cup.  I knew it had to do with a combination of atmospheric pressure, surface tension, and adhesion. The science behind it fascinated me.  But I wasn’t exactly sure if I could do it in the classroom.  (I had just practiced over our bathroom sink at home!)

This trick is supposed to work.  The pressure of the air pushing up on the paper from the outside is stronger than the pull of gravity trying to bring the water down. In theory, it should have worked perfectly.

But when my big day came, my project didn’t work!

I turned the cup over confidently—and water splashed everywhere. The paper flew off.

My classmates gasped. I wanted to sink into the floor. 

Instead, I quickly said, “I’ll clean it up.  Can I try again?  I think I can do it…”

Mrs. Fogg, in her gentle wisdom, gave me another chance. I tried again, this time over the classroom sink.

And again, it failed. More water spilled. My cheeks burned.

But Mrs. Fogg smiled kindly and said, “You can try it again.”

You can imagine how nervous and frustrated I was.  I HAD to try again.  I had to redeem myself. 

On that third attempt—finally—it worked! The paper held firm, and the class erupted in applause. I’ll never forget that moment of relief and joy.

The lesson I learned that day went far beyond science. 

It taught me perseverance, patience, and self-belief.

It reminded me that failure is not the opposite of success—it’s part of it.

Even now, I remind myself (and my clients) that perfection is not the goal.

Progress is. Every mistake, every misstep, every “spilled water moment” is simply feedback on the path forward.

We all need to allow ourselves to fail forward—to learn, adjust, and try again.

Because in the end, it’s not about getting everything right the first time.

It’s about showing up, learning, and growing with each new attempt.

That’s the real formula for success: Progress, not perfection.

To Your Success,

Lynn

P.S.   Here’s a photo of me (2nd row, third from the right) in my 6th grade classroom at Amelia Earhart Elementary School. I didn’t have my 4th grade photo handy!

P.P.S.  Here’s a short video of how this experiment works:  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pZJg0ztIx94?feature=share