Jump, Baby. Jump.
Brooke Giguere
Got a little riddle for ya today.
Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four frogs decide to jump off. How many frogs are left?
…Take your time and give it some thought. But not too much thought, this is supposed to be fun. Ready for the answer?
Five. Yup, FIVE.
Four of the frogs only decided to jump off the log. But none of the frogs actually did any jumping. They are all still chilling on that log. Hmph
There is a big difference between "deciding” something and “doing” something.
I decided 6 months ago that I would start writing a blog. Today I am taking action and physically doing it. Big damn difference. I love to write. Always have. I journal almost daily as part of my morning routine but I have never written for the consumption of others. I took some small steps in the beginning. I made outlines, thought up topics and never took it a step further. I told myself a myriad of things as to why I couldn’t/shouldn’t/wouldn’t blog.
“What could I possibly have to say to people?"
“What if my writing voice doesn’t convey my personality?
“What if my writing sucks? What if no one reads it…”
My personal favorites included these beauties. “I’m not ready to blog yet…I need more practice…I need better ideas…I want to work on something else right now...I need to focus on this new show from Netflix” Yeah, you get it. I am a master of excuses and damn good ones most of time. I can distract myself with tasks that do have meaning too like hitting the gym and doing some yoga. My health is important after all, right?? But when my excuses and other activities are really being used to distract myself from a personal goal, I have to ask “What am I so afraid of that I keep finding ways to avoid taking action?
Honestly? I am a recovering perfectionist and in order to go after something I want I feel the deep seeded need to have it be the absolute best it possibly can be. I will research. I will brainstorm. I will read books on the subject and go crazy with tutorial videos on YouTube. All in an attempt to learn every possible thing I can so that I know enough not to fuck it up. Now, there’s nothing wrong with doing all of those things and I love the journey of new knowledge but when I never take any action how will I ever create? How will I really learn if I never try? I use my love of learning and my desire to do good work as a means of distracting me from actually ever having to try. Because if I never try, I never fail. I never have to hear my inner critic rip my post to shreds not to mention I never have to worry what other people will say about it. I get to stay safe in my bubble of comfort. And it’s so warm and safe here in my bubble. But it’s also kinda lonely and stagnant. When I don’t ever start on my goal I never get to learn what works and what doesn’t. I never get to discover my writing voice. I never get to hear the praise from people who read my stuff. I never get to have my writing published. I never get to reach that other person who is struggling with the same shit. When I never start I stifle my own growth, my own evolution and potentially the growth of others on down the line. HELLO!?!
The list of great things that may happen far outweighs the list of bad things that may happen. So I pause and breathe. I step back and assess. The truth illuminates and becomes clear. I see if I wait until I am 100% ready, I will never ever get there. I just proved that to myself over the last 6 months with all my “getting ready”. Failing will happen if I never try. That’s the real failure anyway. I will grow and get better when I try. When I start. When I take action instead of just deciding to do so. So today I am no frog on a log. I made a decision and then I did something about it. Gotta tell ya, feels pretty good.
What have you decided to start but are waiting for the “right time” or “when you know enough”?
How long will you stay on that log?
Jump, baby. Jump. :)
Leave me a comment below and tell me where in your life you are still sitting on the log. Where in life are you waiting to take action?