Start where you are!

Making positive changes in our lives is usually hard work: it requires preparation, large amounts of motivation, consistent positive reinforcement and feedback. All those things that we know are good for us and those that we’ve always wanted to try… Somehow, we rarely go through with them. Ever wondered why? When you think of it, most of us are held back by the same thing.

Fear of failure.

Deep down, most of us are afraid to fail. We all fear being ridiculed, we get discouraged if we don’t succeed immediately. We quit jogging on the first day because we’re out of breath within 10 minutes. We don’t start that language course because we believe others will mock our heavy accent. We take ourselves so seriously, it is difficult for us to accept the fact that failing is one of the natural outcomes of trying. Now, I’ll let you in on a secret: you probably won’t get it right the first time, and that’s ok.

What you’re probably thinking right now is something along these lines: “I’m not afraid, it’s just that the timing isn’t right.” Or “I just need more research and preparation.” And here’s the point: you won’t be ready and the timing will never be better. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, just start where you are, use what you have.

To achieve greatness, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.

– Arthur Ashe, tennis champion

My Self-Development Project

Inspired by Gretchen Rubin’s Happier podcast, I decided to use my teaching and project management experience to start a self-development project. I want to motivate myself to grow and become a better person every day, learn a new skill just for fun and master it without the fear of failure. It might be a new type of software or persuasive writing techniques. Something useful, like a bunch of new phrases in Spanish, or purely entertaining, let’s say… how to play the ukulele. I won’t judge myself if I don’t succeed – but I’ll be disappointed if I don’t try.

On this blog I’ll be exploring all kinds of inspirational stuff that might help me find a new passion. I’ll also be posting productivity tips, time-management ideas, and mind tricks that should keep me motivated and focused. In the future I’d love to do interviews with some amazing, highly-driven people I was lucky enough to meet in Warsaw, London, NYC, and Singapore.