So you’ve got this idea. And you want it to be good so badly, that you’re scared to even start, in case the reality doesn’t match how it looks inside your head.
And now it feels like…
… the fear is winning.
… the fear has your number.
… the fear knows where you live.
… the fear knows exactly what makes you tick.
There’s only one way to beat the fear: acknowledge its presence and carry on regardless.
You’ll still carry the fear wherever you go, like a parasite that’s feeding on you, gnawing away in the dark on your insides.
The fear it’s something you can learn to live with though. (Let’s be honest, none of us really have a choice, it’s how our brains work). But it’s ok, because there’s always a moment… a magical, earthmoving moment… where the thought of not taking action becomes worse than the fear of taking it, and all that pent-up energy is unleashed.
So yes, you’ve got the fear.
And yes, when you do get that idea out of your head, it’s probably not going to be as amazing as you thought it would be.
But you need the fear, because the fear is your fuel.
And now the only question left is this: what’s your next move?
PS. I drafted this note in the middle of the night when I woke up with the fear.
It’s been something of a fallow year for me in terms of writing this blog, and now I want to get back on track. The heatwave that seems to be affecting the whole of Europe hasn’t been helping much either, and I’ve had some long, patches of the summer blues on top of that. But I’m not about ready to let that stop me.
On the plus side: I’ve almost finished moving this blog to Craft CMS (imagine a posh, artisan version of Wordpress that’s much easier to work with) and I’m maybe 20% of the way through reformatting and relinking all of the articles. And once that’s done, I absolutely promise to make my “7 Things You Should Do Before Going Freelance” course available again.
And in the real world, I’ve knocked down a partition wall in my flat — possibly the most physically and mentally rewarding work I’ve done all year — and literally let the fucking light in, and it feels good.
So if things haven’t been good for you recently, this one is for you.
Go forth and conquer.
Posted to life in 2018.