YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING TO START SOMETHING

So you dream of writing a book, hosting a blog, creating a course, fill in the blanks for yourself. Why is it just a dream? What’s stopping you from making it a reality?

Let me take a few guesses:

• Time
• Self-doubt
• fear

Am I right?

It’s natural to be nervous about branching out into something new, and it hits a new level when you have to share it with the world. Is nervousness reason enough to avoid doing what you dream of though? It really isn’t.

I’ve always been a Nervous Nelly in the area of public speaking. After years of having to facilitate seminars & workshops and give presentations, I still feel nervous before each one. There has, however, been a major shift over the years.  As a child, I had no choice. I got nervous, but I had to do it anyway. I hated it at the time and would rather have been anywhere else doing just about anything else. Those experiences taught me an important lesson that has served me through the years. I learned that my nervousness was not a reflection of my ability. I wasn’t nervous because I couldn’t do the thing well. I was nervous because I am human, prone to mistakes, and had been exposed to the idea that only perfection was acceptable. Is that true? Absolutely not.  Also, because I HAD to do those things as a child, I learned to perform despite my nervousness.

What else could we be thinking that’s not true? In what areas are you questioning your abilities, even though they’ve been well-proven? 

Start questioning your questions. 

What if I fail? Question that question. So what if I fail? Will anyone die? Will I? What will make my effort a failure vs a part of the learning process? What if I succeed?

Am I enough of an expert? Question that question. What makes an expert? Interest? Learning? Repeated application? Observation? Assimilation? Am I capable of these things? Do I need to know everything to help others?

What will people think? Question that question. What won’t people think? Should it matter that much? Are ‘people’ worried about what you’ll think about their goals and desires?

Of course, you also have to question whether these are valid questions, or simply excuses to delay putting effort into your dreams.

Sure, time is a limited resource, but you don’t have to realize your dream in one sitting. Small, focused chunks of time really add up.

You’re not sure you can do it, and you don’t know if you know enough to help others, but we learn from each other everyday. You may not know everything, but you know more than many other people who would appreciate your unique approach to the topic.

You’re afraid you’re wasting your time, and those closest to you are already putting their 2-cents worth in. Listen to them. Accept the good advice and let it help you. Discard the negativity, because that’s what you do with negativity. Explore different methods but stay true to yourself. It’s your unique perspective and subsequent approach that will make you stand out and bring you the greatest sense of accomplishment, not to mention joy. Yes, it feels safe to learn all the theory before ever attempting anything, but I encourage you to start doing something. Let doing help you learn. 

The solid truth is that if you have a dream that you’re not making into a reality, even with tiny steps, you are not fully living.

Every child deserves to experience the magic of Christmas. Maybe you’re legitimately tired and stressed, but I hope this little experiential story will motivate you to create magic and memories for the children in your life this Christmas, and I really hope it will revive your childlike wonder so you can experience the magic as well.