My friends tell me they want to get into art, music, and entrepreneurship.
When I ask them why they haven’t done it yet, they always give me excuses. There’s always a what if or but in their statements.
- WHAT IF nobody likes my music?
- WHAT IF people don’t like my art?
- I want to start a business, BUT I don’t have capital.
The thing about work (especially a creative one) is that you shouldn’t think of the outcome before you begin.
If you want a perfect result before you even start doing the work, you are in for disappointment. You might not even begin at all because of the fear of things going wrong.
It’s the process that matters, not the outcome. Focus on doing the work without expecting all of it to provide excellent results.
It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think big or set higher goals. Goals are commitment to the process, not the outcome.
Passionate people focus on the process. They love doing their work even when they are not rewarded. They don’t seek validation from others. They do the work.
You think you need things or the right time to start. But what you have is enough.
Begin with your mindset. If you have a keen desire to do the work, you will find what you need. But if you start thinking about what you need before starting, you might never do it.
When I decided to write online, I didn’t complain about not having a blog. I didn’t stop myself. I also didn’t care if my writing was good. All I wanted to do was publish articles online.
I started a free blog on Blogger.com with my Google account. I published a few articles there. Even though they weren’t that good, I started. It led me to set up my blog later — buying a domain/hosting and starting a WordPress site. Then, I discovered Medium and wrote more articles. I also started my newsletter and published multiple e-books.
When you start, you find the answers. You create a path. And that path leads you to better opportunities. It might not be smooth and easy. But it will be worth it.
Don’t wait for the perfect timing. Don’t wait for things to be right.
Begin with what you have. Embrace failures. Learn.
Focus on the process. The end result won’t be very exciting if you don’t enjoy the process. You might enjoy it for a few moments. But it might not be as valuable as you expected.
Remember when you wanted something so badly you did everything to have it? And when you got it, you realized you didn’t really need it as much as you thought. It shows that the pursuit of something (process) is often more exciting than the end result.
So, when you enjoy the process, the outcome won’t matter to you.
Don’t think about winning. Think about doing your work the best way possible. Sometimes, you win. Sometimes, you lose. But you will enjoy the process no matter the outcome.
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