5/5
While this is only the 50th piece of writing here, it marks just over a full year of primarily keeping to this once a week ritual. This is the fourth time I've tried to create a public space for writing and it's the only time I've been able to keep it going for longer than a handful of weeks. I noticed some key differences in my approach this time around that helped me build the habit. I've listed them below; maybe they'll help you start your hobby, habit, or project.
It's easy to conflate preparation with execution. I'm not denigrating preparation—I consider it a superpower—but over-preparation can easily become a deceptive form of procrastination that feels productive. Do as much as you need to get going and then start doing the thing. You'll learn much more from execution than you could from the sideline.
I learned this from strength training. You're not going to have a good workout every time—you may not be physically or mentally able to that day. Accept that, show up anyway, complete your routine as best as you can while preserving proper form, and make sure you show up again next time. This applies to anything that requires consistency.
I'm not happy with everything I've published here but I show up, write the words, and publish them regardless. I try to do better each time but better is not always achievable. My focus is on the act of doing and trending up in the long term.
Success for a long term action is consistency. Misses weigh more than reps; it's why habits are easier to break than build. The less you think about quality in the beginning the better. Remember, "perfection is the enemy of good," though I prefer the even lower bar of thinking about it as the enemy of done.
You're going to fail at anything you do if you do it enough. Instead of dreading failure, harness it as the learning opportunity it is. Be curious about any failure you can identify because it will help you avoid them later. It will also help you identify failures you may have been previously blind to.
Take solace in the knowledge that the more experience you get doing the thing, the more specific the lessons you can learn are. What you discover you can improve at month six is much different than it was at week six.
It's the underlying theme here. How do I do a thing I don't know how to do? How do I commit to doing a thing indefinitely? How can I be sure I'm good at the thing? You can't get those answers unless you do the thing. It's a catch-22.
For me, the future regret of not doing isn't worth it. It's enough to get me over that hump. Overcoming fear is personal, though; I can't tell you what will work for you. What I can tell you, from personal experience, is that fear is generally a sign that you have become aware of something that requires more than your average amount of attention and energy. It's a signal. Once you identify the signal, discard it so you can focus on how you react to it. Otherwise it will paralyze you and you will do nothing. Doing nothing is rarely helpful when you want to reach a goal.
I'm proud WBS has made it to a one year anniversary. I'm also embarrassed by a lot of it—from writing to design to code and beyond. Having a better designed and more solidly built app with half the content at a potentially higher quality bar wouldn't make me happier, though.
More to come. Always more to come.