A week ago, a friend told me to “forget the anxiety and just do it”. But 2 weeks prior, I had already started drafting this blog post. The irony.
It seems I’m not really practicing what I’m about to preach (but stay with me🤣). Because really, we just have to do it.
It’s good to plan. It’s good to have systems in place to execute. It’s good to prepare. But all these things won’t matter if you don’t actually start the work — if you don’t just do it.
I planned on launching two writing projects this year. I had started working on both simultaneously at the beginning of the year. As a matter of fact, I wrote every evening before I went to bed — for 3 months.
Now, while that was all well and good, the pieces were mere drafts. Ugly first drafts, as Ann Handley (author of Everybody Writes) calls them.
One project was supposed to be an eBook and the other, a newsletter. But I eventually decided to create 2 separate newsletters because I felt the eBook might delay.
While I had drafts and had also set up the newsletters in the platform I decided to use, it was hard for me to edit my drafts, upload them and publish or even launch my newsletters. I’m not sure what was wrong with me. Perhaps, I overthought the entire thing.
At a point, I felt I wasn’t good enough for one of the projects I wanted to launch.
Anyway, until I decided I needed to just make time to polish one draft and publish, I would still have been in the planning and preparation phase, even though I was ready. I had already built a system I needed, I just did not start.
Then…
I read one of James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletters on a Sunday evening, and it just hit me. Just start this newsletter (this was originally going to be the eBook). Edit one draft and publish. So that night, I did what I needed to do (with the help of a friend) and I published in the evening, it was around 11 pm.
Once I had done that, I got more clarity. I realised the initial idea I had was a bit limited, I wanted to reach more people, so I made the changes immediately. I never would have got that idea to broaden my scope if I hadn’t published the first post.
Then recently, it hit me (again). For the other writing project I didn’t feel so good about starting because I felt I wasn’t up for the task, I thought I’d make that an eBook, instead of a newsletter (the original plan). The eBook will cover the questions people have asked me that I gave answers to that worked. That is something I am confident in, so I have decided to start with that. I already have the topics compiled and some pieces written so I’ll continue from there and publish in 2025. 🤞🏽
So that’s it.
Until you start, until you do it (whatever that may be to you), that clarity or perfection you’re seeking may not come.
My unsolicited advice? Just do it.
Coincidentally, the day I planned to write this draft, I read another of James Clear’s newsletter and he said this:
"A critical quality to develop in life is the willingness to try. You simply must find enough confidence to give it a go. The human mind is fabulous at learning. You will get better at whatever you practice. But before you can develop the skill to succeed, you must find the courage to attempt." — James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits
As we end 2024 and prepare for 2025, find the courage to attempt and just do that one thing you’ve been putting off for so long.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a blissful new year! (If you celebrate)
Take care and enjoy the best of the season 🎄❄️
All my love,
D 🍃
PS: I deleted a part of the original text here because it was time bound and since I couldn’t publish in November, I had to take it out. But here’s what I kept with a twist: For the remaining days of December, I’ll be planning and plotting for 2025, eating pastries, watching Christmas Romcoms, and spending time with some of my favourite people.
PPS: About my writing projects, consider this a soft launch for the first newsletter - Career Musings. I'm yet to publicly announce it but you can check it out → (You don’t have to subscribe if you don’t want to. Simply choose “Read first” and you’ll be taken to the newsletter.)
See you next year, dearest reader! 🫶🏽
Thanks D❤️
Just do it!