The starting point of anything can often be the most difficult part of journey.
It can be nerve wrecking.
Frightening.
It can be that time when we ask ourselves a lot of questions.
And it is these questions that can hold us back from starting.
They breed self-doubt. Self-doubts robs us the courage to start and follow our dreams.
I have been there, stuck and never gathering courage to start. When I was teenager I had less doubts, the world was full of possibilities that I needed to grab. One of those possibilities for me as a teenager was becoming an influencer of note through writing, big dreams huh?
So I started working on my first book, I didn’t have a plan but I wrote anyway. I wasn’t too self-conscious. I knew I wanted to contribute something to the world. I wanted my words to breathe some hope into someone’s life. I showed up as I was, whether or not I was good enough was not the most important thing. The cause was greater than being good enough. I often wish what I had then as teenager I still have it now. I am older now I appreciate the importance of being prepared and doing a thorough work before diving in.
But I know that the need to want to figure it all out and reach a certain level of goodness has stood in the way of my growth. I have held back a lot of things waiting to be good enough, waiting to figure it all out. I have wanted to blog for quite some time. I purchased a domain name and sat on it, waiting and wanting to get a polished, shining post with no rough edges and no errors. Back then I was all about purpose not perfection. I understood that my writing was a gift to the world and I had to present my writing in the form it was. I knew that it would give value to others.
Here are three things that sometimes hold me back and these may be the same things that hold you back.
Looking for a perfect model to accomplish our purposes
We often look for a perfect model to accomplish our purposes but our purposes don’t necessarily lie in perfection. We have to remind ourselves that even in our state of imperfection we are enough. We are great in the form that we are. Our imperfection should not stop us from reaching onto our dreams. We wait for ideal environment so that we start pursuing our dreams and unfortunately for some of us that ideality never comes. We should learn to run while limping. Our faults dear one should not stop us from chasing our dreams. It is when we present ourselves as we are that we allow ourselves to grow. Ditch the perfect model and start pursuing your purposes.
We are afraid we will loose
When I was a teenager I was not afraid about whether or not I will be a success. I jumped at every writing opportunity that came my way. Now that I have wised up in many occasions I have been very afraid that I wont make it. Sometimes I have been afraid of the opinions of others particularly those I hold in very high regard. I have asked myself how about if I don’t make it. It is Thomas Edison’s words that can give us courage to face failure. I haven’t failed I have learnt 10 000 ways which did not. Loosing therefore should fuel us to find ways that work.
We ask ourselves the wrong side of lot what ifs?
“And you ask what if I fall? Oh but my darling what if you fly?” Erin Hanson
We tend to focus on the wrong side of what if. But what we should remember is that for every negative what if there is a positive what if. It will do us good to get into the habit of writing the ‘what if’ we fear and writing the positive ‘what if’ against that. scraping of what if
What if I don’t attract audience for my blog? What if I attract lot of traffic for my blog?
What if I am bad at this? What if I am good at this?
What if my book never becomes a best seller? What if my book becomes the best seller?
What if the proposal fail? What if the proposal wins?
Let the passion of your dream be stronger than the ‘what ifs?. Here is the interesting part I would like to hear from you. Share your story of what’s holding you from starting. Make a commitment to starting, share with me what you are going to start. If you are one of those unafraid of starting share still I would love to hear your thoughts.
If we can’t face our negative what ifs what bravery is left in us?