Do you ever find that sometimes the only thing that works is having a stern word with yourself?
When I started this blog at the beginning of the year I was all guns blazing and go go go. I’d committed to writing 52 blogs throughout this year, the idea obviously being that I would write one every week…yet here we are in April and I’ve completed one and have a handful of half written others.
I guess what I’ve realized is that I’m paralyzed by the fear of not getting it right, of being judged and of putting something out that is less than perfect. It’s so much easier to make up the excuses and put it off, then put it off some more, then it just is a snowball affect of a whole lot of nothing.
This one is going to be short and sweet and the purpose is to serve as a reminder to myself. JUST. BLOODY. DO. IT. It doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact in NEVER will be, just get started and the rest is a lot less effort.
As soon as my fingers start to hit the keyboard and get in flow, I feel like they could type forever and I honestly love it. It’s just the mental energy it takes to actually get started.
Earlier, as I was sitting with my laptop open, contemplating what task to work on next; whether to do some other work or do some writing, I experienced the same internal battle that I always do when it comes to writing (as well as many, many other things).
I started to consciously think for a second and make a mental list of all of the reasons for why I SHOULDN’T start right now. They seemed so valid as a passing thought but when I really started to think about it they were just bullshit reasons. For example, worrying about people judging my writing…..but how will anyone ever see it if I don’t start. And how will I ever improve if I don’t start, practice and make the effort.
I then made a list of all the reasons I SHOULD start. I thought about them in the following way “If I don’t start x, then I will feel x way”. The feelings that came up were failure, pissed off, disappointed. If I don’t start writing and creating this blog, then I will feel like a failure. Thinking about that feeling, truly trying to experience in that moment was enough to get me outta this funk. Because who likes to feel like a failure?
Next, and this is the most important one, I remembered WHY. Why I created this blog, why I’m doing this and my why, my purpose in life. If you know the why, then the how (and everything else) becomes easy and effortless.
Next time you’re feeling this way (and this is really and FYI to myself), sit in silence for a few minutes and do the above exercise to get over whatever blocks you’re experiencing. You’ll be surprised at what a difference this can make.
Lastly, spend a minute watching the below WAKEUP video and let yourself be inspired.
Now get to it and just bloody do it 😉