A lot of pain and frustration rises from two specific places.
1) Knowing what we want to do, yet believing we are not capable of doing it.
2) Not knowing what we want to do and believing we are not capable of figuring it out.
We often focus on "knowing" or "not knowing" and miss the bigger problem of believing "we are not capable."
I believed I was incapable for years.
The list is of things I believed myself incapable of is too long to mention.
Rather my reason for writing today is to say,
We must start.
Whether we know precisely what we want to do or not.
We must put on our big boy and big girl pants.
We must wade into what we wonder about. Because the only way we will move from "incapable" to "capable" is by putting one foot in front of the other.
It's how we move from...
unable to able.unskilled to skilled.ineffective to effective.not knowing to knowing.incompetent to competent.inexperienced to knowledgeable.
Ask my friend who wanted beauty products made of all natural, beneficial ingredients and taught herself how to make them. She will launch her online business this year.
Ask my friend who wanted to meet the web development needs of people making a positive impact on the world. She just launched her first major project.
Ask my friend who longed for a community that would support and celebrate creativity and calling. She just launched Creative World Changers Studio.
Ask my friend who wanted to leave her 8-5 job to be a full time writer, teach writing, and surround herself with other writers. She launched Ninja Writers.
Ask my friend who has been through the ringer with institution of religion and wanted to create a safe space for spiritual seekers to ask tough questions and find freedom. He just launched the Fearless Questions podcast.
Ask my friend who figured out how to retire at age 48 as a single mom and wanted to teach others that they don't have to suffer under the current system. She launched a "Radical Retirement" blog last year.
Guess how they all started?
By starting.
By figuring out one thing they could do and doing that one thing. Then learning- how to undo, redo, double down, and do again.
One thing at a time-
one item, one obstacle, one step, one piece- until they had stacked enough bricks to build what they had imagined. Or most commonly, some version of what they had imagined.
If you asked each of them,
“What is your magic formula for launching?” I believe they would chuckle and tell you, “There isn’t one.”
If you asked, “How did you do it?” I believe they would tell you, “I just had to figure it out one thing at a time.”
If you asked, “Was it easy?” I believe they would tell you, “It was hard work and soooo worth it.”
If you asked, “Is it easier now?” I believe they would tell you, “It is still hard work and sooo worth it.”
They would definitely tell you not to fall for the…
"You must already be capable" lie.
I think we buy into this notion that we must already be good at something to attempt it. That we must already know what we're doing to go ahead.
But isn't that kind of silly?
How can we possibly know how to do something until we just do it? All the education and training and planning in the world won't cause it happen.
We must start.
My launching friends would also tell you to beware of the…
"You must already know what you want to do" lie.
We buy into this notion that we must know exactly what we want to do and how it should look before we can start.
But isn't that kind of silly?
How can we possibly know what we want to do if we've never actually done it? All the presupposing in the world can't replace trying it.
We must start.
I've always wanted to write a novel.
Do I know how to write a novel?
Not a clue.
What must I do?
I must start.
I finished my first short story this week.
Is it good?
Not a clue.
What must I do?
Start the next one.
What do you need to start?
I'd love to know. Leave a comment below or come over to our Facebook group and tell us!
Need help starting?
This is the most inspiring (aka kick in the butt) video I've ever seen on the subject.
Article originally published on The Purpose Dweller Diaries.