What if I can’t start?
Just start.
Two words I have heard over and over again. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me that phrase, I’ll be rivalling Elon Musk’s wealth. (Of course, this is an exaggeration but you get the point).
Starting anything new will always be scary. The fear of the unknown, rejection, failure or shame is enough to cripple any desire to start.
But have you ever tried to understand what is stopping you from starting?
The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist - Zig Ziglar.
Here are a few questions to guide you in the right direction.
What are you scared of? Are you scared of burning out when you start? Are you scared of others labelling you as “not good enough”? Does the thought of your limited resources scare you?
This article is the first of my 30 days challenge and I almost gave up before I started. My major reason? I was scared of missing some days. My root cause was failure.
The root cause differs for each person, it could be anything. You need to figure it out.
Why do you need to start? What are the reasons for starting? Is it worth the pain and headache? This part is a bit tricky, so you have to be honest with yourself. Are you starting because of pressure, approval or is there a genuine need? If there is no tangible reason, then abort the mission, please. I repeat abort mission soldier!
I started this challenge because I enjoy sharing what I know but fear keeps holding me back. Will I deny others the privilege of learning just because I can’t see past my ego? Nope nope.
Make sure your reason for starting is tangible enough to you when the going gets tough.
Where do you need to start? What resources are available to you to start? What do you need to keep you inspired, engaged or determined?
For me, all I need is my laptop, data connection and a few random ideas I could use. The rest, I will figure out on the way.
You don’t even need to have it all figure out, you just need to know where to start.
What is the worst-case scenario? If everything could wrong with this project you plan to embark on, can you handle it? If you put in your best but somehow life still happens to you, would you be content knowing you tried? Can you live with it?
The worst-case scenario for me is that I don’t finish this challenge and I show the world that committing to things is hard for me. I’ll be so disappointed in myself for not reaching my goal but at least I know I tried my best
What is the best-case scenario? What can you gain from the experience? What are the rewards of following through with your project?
The best-case scenario for me is helping other people with my content, having 30 more articles to add to my archives, getting more jobs because of this decision. Shameless plug: If you need a writer (copy/content), I’m the girl for the job.
You can never tell what amazing things can stem from one singular act of venturing out.
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take -Wayne Gretzky
What if you don’t/never start? What are the possible implications of you not venturing out of a particular comfort zone (or bro zone, no judgement here.) Can you live what ifs?
This question is usually a deal-breaker for an idea. It either kills it or it fuels it.
I know it was for me
Don’t let the fear of anything stop you from starting. Beating fear has it’s ripple effects. You beat it once, you know you can do it over and over again.
Everything you’ve ever wanted is sitting on the other side of fear -George Addair”
Be more scared of what you would lose if you don’t start than what you would gain from remaining in your comfort zone. #defundstagnancy
When you start, congratulate yourself because you beat your fear. Now I can boldly say JUST START to you because you know what to do.
Cheers to starting new things or old things…..
