I’d just written my first blog post when I had this chat with Luka over breakfast.
The evening before, I’d put my first article online on Medium. When I got home, I showed it to Max, who said “That’s great! But maybe Medium isn’t the best place to do it, do it on your own site, with a more professional portfolio page and a blog section, don’t you think?
Wow.
That’s when it hit me.
The next morning, I arrive at breakfast and Max and Luka are chatting over their cappuccino.
M: “Gasp, did you show Luks your article?
L: “What article? About work?”
G: “No, I’ve started a blog!”
L: “Great! Let me see!”
Luka reads.
L: “Bro, I love it! The form, the tone, it’s really cool! By the way, I’ve been thinking about my idea for a vlog, I really think I’m going to make a YouTube channel.”
G: “Let’s go! So you’ll be doing videos about travelling, surfing and so on?”
L: “Yeah, I think so, I’d also like there to be an inspirational side, a lifestyle side, as well as travel and surf videos, I think there’s a real way of creating a community around that. I need to clarify my vision, like my long-term goal.”
G: “You’ve pretty much got the vision, haven’t you? Some lifestyle, travel and surf videos, others more thought-provoking, more inspirational?”
L: “Well, I’d really like to combine the two. For example, I’d like to have a surf video where, when you drop into the wave and see this hole in front of you, I explain the concept of ‘say yes, and figure out later’ with a voice-over. Anyway, I need to clarify that. In any case, I’ll have to buy some filming equipment and maybe a microphone.
G: “Dude, make your first video, try something out, and see what you like.”
L: “Yeah, but you know, if I have a clear vision, then I’ll have a more precise concept, and I’ll be able to do something really nice.”
G: “Right now, you’re thinking in business mode, looking for a clear vision and a perfect concept before you launch. Two days ago, I was hesitating about launching a blog, yesterday I wrote the first article, showed it to Max, and by this evening, I’ll have my own site with a blog on it. Go ahead, make a few videos, then see what you like!”
L: “Yeah, you’re right, I make my first video, I show it to some people, they tell me what they think, I improve the concept as I go along, and the community will start being created. But first, I need something to film with.”
G: “Take my GoPro!”
L: “But it’s yours…”
G: “You don’t care! You take it, you make videos for a week, and if you get a kick out of it, you’ll buy one! You’ve been talking about this YouTube channel for weeks, don’t procrastinate about the equipment.”
L: “Yeah, you’re right. On Monday I’ll get the GoPro and make my first video!
G: “Let’s go!”
That goes for all projects, for everyone, and of course for me.
As soon as you have an idea in your head, if it’s even remotely important to you, you’re going to procrastinate.
You’re going to wait to improve the idea, because obviously tomorrow it will be better.
You’re going to put it at the bottom of the priority list, hoping that it will come up on its own, because at the moment you don’t have much time.
You’re going to find out what equipment you need to get started, because obviously you don’t have what you need. But wait, it’s expensive. Well, I’ll start when I’ve got the money for the equipment.
That’s normal. It’s only human.
Because this idea is so close to your heart, you want it to be exactly at the level you’ve been imagining for weeks.
Because it’s a personal project, the last thing you want is to be disappointed with the result.
The equation is always the same: Expectations VS Reality.
If what you do is better than you expected, you feel like you’re in heaven.
But when you think about the project for hours, days, weeks on end, when you have a very precise idea of what you want, you’re bound to be disappointed if the result isn’t exactly up to scratch right from the start.
And it won’t be. That’s precisely the point of ‘the beginning’.
So what should you do?
Just do it.
Stop waiting and do.
Because it’s by doing that you’ll understand what you like and what you don’t, that you’ll talk about it with your friends and family, that they’ll give you advice, and that you’ll move forward at top speed.
Because you thought you were writing something in the notes on your computer, and you end up with a website in your name, a porftolio, and a blog that’s referenced on Google.
Thanks Max!
Does it scare you? We’ve already talked about it in ‘Let go of the furniture’, kill that little voice inside you that’s telling you not to do it.
It’s not there for your own good, it’s there for your comfort.
A YouTube channel? A trip? An association? Learning an instrument? Got an idea?
Perfect!
Is it imperfect? Perfect!
That means you can start!
