“No One Reads This Blog”: Inspo To Start Before You’re Ready
No one reads this blog. As I write this sentence, that statement rings true. But as you peruse this post, it’s erroneous. I guess this embodies the start before you’re ready mantra.
Success requires starting in the first place (duh). I mean, I wrote this post with an audience of exactly zero. Crickets.
But first steps are quiet; origins are low-key. I believed this.
So I launched this site in 2022, and indexed my first 10-ish posts into Google — well before I ever had any creative assets finished.
I mean, I barely had them started for that matter (unless you count scheming and fine-tuned dreaming).
And all of these creatives I’m talking about (my art, my music, the travel films) — yea, I definitely didn’t feel ready.
Maybe you know how this one goes:
“Welp, this (song/blog/project/idea) sucks.”
“Maybe I should go back to (thing I was doing) for just one more year…yea that’s it, focus on preparing a little more…”
“Crap. I shouldn’t have hopped into this Home Feed…these people are crushin’ it. I need to practice more before I share my own monstrosities.”
“Just…meh.”
Self sabotage – I don’t know why we do this to ourselves.
Whatever you call it, one thing’s for certain: you’ll probably never feel 100% ready, 100% of the time – so we may as well say f*ck it and just go all in.
Besides, no one’s gonna read this blog or listen to my music anyway, right?
Welcome to my story.
This is about finally starting that thing you’ve been wanting to get off the ground. This is about starting when you’ve convinced yourself you’re far from ready.
This is a case study – a personal story – a guide.
So let’s start with a discussion on one of the main culprits of not quite feeling ready for prime time. Please join me in welcoming my old friend, imposter syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome: The Facts.
Imposter syndrome is real – and it’s all in your head. But what is it exactly? Let’s start there.
Imposter syndrome is “a psychological state in which people express self-doubt on their accomplishments and skills, despite factual evidence or other people indicating otherwise.”
This aptly-named phenomenon – courtesy of Pauline Clance – is serious stuff. It’s chronic! (not the good kind)
Especially if you’re a creative or entrepreneur/solopreneur. And super especially if you feel like you have no “proof” to your awesomeness.
All these feelings – they’re usually just one big illusion though. But that sort of dime-store advice doesn’t help anyone.
So spiraling mind, please proceed. Bah, Humbug.
My point? Before we can really start, we should recognize why we’re feeling like we’re not ready. And one big reason could be imposter syndrome.
At the risk of sounding too presumptuous here, I’m definitely not saying that if you’re feeling hesitant, then you’ve probably got a case of I’m-a-fraud phenomenon! Nah, of course not.
But it could be a factor worth considering.
So let's demystify this situation a little, and turn to the formal, research-based side of things (sources are listed at end of the article).
You know how the old adage goes: know thy enemy…
Risk Factors of Imposter Syndrome
Cultural, societal and social expectations
Being from a marginalized population
Your environment
New opportunities or successes
Individual personality traits
Depression or anxiety
Making comparisons and exposure to disproportionately unrealistic examples (looking at you Insta and TikTok)
Symptoms of Imposter Syndrome
Perfectionism with a big fear of failure
Habitually sabotaging yourself and your own success
Low self-esteem and diminished confidence
Self-doubt and feeling like you’re not good enough
Crediting luck or things outside your control for successes
Sense of being a fraud and being discovered as such
A fear of taking on new responsibilities or challenges
Frustration and anxiety and unrealistic goal-setting
Sweet, I Have Imposter Syndrome: What Do Now?
Recognize what’s happening. Now own it and focus on the facts and objective reality.
Accept and expect that perfectionism is impossible and that static days are a reality. Some days, we just can’t be bothered with “crushing it”.
Take breaks – hustle culture works for some, but break culture is a thing too.
Practice gratitude and recognize your achievements, ideas and talents.
Stop comparing yourself to others. Alternatively, compare yourself to who you were yesterday…and the day before that…and the week before…the year before…you get the idea.
Reframe negative thoughts and your mindset. See setbacks as steps closer to solutions and success.
Visualize success and connect with real, felt emotions around that success.
Talk it out with a friend or someone close (or speak with a therapist). Alternatively, you can try writing things down – journal, blog, sticky notes…whatever works.
Comfort Zones & Growing Pains: A Brief Discussion On A Dynamic Dichotomy.
Growth is overrated. Comfort is undervalued.
So where’s this leave us? Should we strike a perfect balance between comfort and growth? Or should we find what works for us and just go all in on that?
I can’t say for sure what the right answer is, but as with so many other things, the solution is probably somewhere in between.
For me, balancing my moments between intentional, focused (and often uncomfortable) growth with chill, relaxed, lets-binge-all-the-shows type of days is a recipe that works.
Being “on” all the time is probably unhealthy too.
Actually, some of the benefits of taking breaks include a boost to your physical and mental health, preventing decision fatigue and improving your memory and learning.
Even more interesting, hopping in between different tasks can reset your thinking and spark creativity.
So enjoy your comfort zones — no need to get rid of them completely. But balance things out and push yourself into discomfort. The more you do it, the easier it gets.
And the more you’ll grow and find new opportunities and successes.
How To Start (Before You’re Ready): Strategy Sesh.
I should bring everything together now, so we can boost the actionable value of this post.
So let’s start with some inspo: this blog, this brand. It’s pudding-grade proof that starting before you’re ready can and does work.
Sure, I still have moments of “Ah! What the sh*t am I doing here! Imposteur!”. But I’m here, and I’m doing the thing.
And while most of my first moves felt a bit unhinged and ill-prepared, I was probably just being too hard on myself, objectively speaking.
So here are some practical tips to start before you’re feeling fully ready:
Accept that things probably won’t go as planned — and reframe any setbacks as steps forward
Take it one step at a time, and don’t be afraid to pivot if necessary
Dial in on your goals and purpose — your intrinsic motivation
Find like-minded people and/or mentors
Breaks are good — but just be sure you get back to it after some rest
(Annoyingly) simplistic, but just start
Whether it’s comfort keeping us from growth or nonstop waiting until we’re "ready”, breaking cycles is hard.
But staying on that hamster loop is f*cking harder.
It’s sort of insidious you know? It seems better, and smarter, at first. Ah, sweet comfort.
But then we get totally blindsided, decades down the road, when we wake up one day wondering with wrinkles what happened, and why we put our dreams on standby for so long.
So let’s stop the pattern-repeat, and just commit to starting…
…even if we’re just not ready.
Sources:
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