Michelle Obama’s one piece of advice to aspiring #bossbabe leaders

Whenever a moment of divine inspiration comes your way, two things usually happen. First, you get totally amped—because the idea of running a marathon, executing a full-on career pivot, or taking your yoga-teaching biz on the road sounds pretty epic. Second, fear pays you a visit to brief you on all the reasons why you might fail. And just like that, a self-doubt spiral ensues.

But in a recent interview with Refinery29, Michelle Obama (AKA queen of arm and boss-lady #goals) said her absolute best advice for women everywhere is to stop fearing failure. “So often, our own fear of failure is the thing that keeps us back. We think we have to be perfect, that if we make even the tiniest mistake, it’s a catastrophe. That’s simply not true! In fact, the only way you succeed in life is by failing and failing well,” she said.

“So often, our own fear of failure is the thing that keeps us back. We think we have to be perfect, that if we make even the tiniest mistake, it’s a catastrophe. That’s simply not true! In fact, the only way you succeed in life is by failing and failing well.” —Michelle Obama

What exactly does “failing well” entail? Basically, Obama wants you to view all your roadblocks as inspo. “You have to learn from them, let them challenge and inspire you to do more—to take some risks and to step outside of your comfort zone,” she advised. For example, if you’re afraid of getting sidelined by an injury on your way to completing 26.2 miles, let it inspire you to clock in some extra cross-training sessions to build up muscles.

Hey, if both Oprah Winfrey and Obama think risk-taking (in spite of fearing failure) is essential for realizing your future as a #bossbabe leader, it must be true.

Here’s how Reese Witherspoon stays fearless in the face of challenges. And this one-minute meditation will guide you to choose love over fear.