Just start starting!
We all have something new we want to start. Relationships, jobs, what we eat. But how do we actually do it? Read on to find out my ridiculously simple technique
By Gemma Callander
I’m gonna be honest. This is my second version of this post. The first one I wrote sounded like someone else wrote it, it wasn’t my voice at all.
I’m new to this and I thought I had to sound a certain way, send a certain message. And the result was something I couldn’t connect with at all.
So I started again. I started starting again!
Way to many “startings” in that last section, but hey ho, whatcha gonna do?
Take 2
I’m not telling you this because I’m proud of it. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to sound more professional and “together”, to have a strong public persona, but that’s just not always the reality.
I’m sharing this because I wanted you to know that I started something new (this blog) and that scares the crap out of me. I’m not sure how to translate what is in my head onto paper yet, but I’m trying, and I think it’s the right thing to do for me.
Stepping out of your comfort zone
I want to chat about starting something new today.
This can be anything from starting a blog (yep from me), changing career (another yes from me, several times actually), learning to knit (yep, but I totally don’t have the patience) or improving specific areas of health (a big fat yee ha from me).
I’m talking about taking those first few tentative steps and getting out of your comfort zone.
Life is all about new beginnings
I’ve gone through a lot of changes in my life. From losing my dad at 11, moving to London without any plan at all (I highly recommend this), changing careers (several times) and learning who I am as a person and what is most important to me.
I’ve made so (sooo) many mistakes along the way that have shaped me, maybe even more so than my successes.
I’ve been shown so much kindness from people when I’ve started something new and fucked up, they have helped me pick myself up and try again.
“I’ve made so (sooo) many mistakes along the way that have shaped me, maybe even more so than my successes.“
How do I start starting?
So…what does that rather uninspiring statement have to do about starting something new?
Well, each time I gained a new skill or understanding about the world, it was a direct result of starting something new, and making mistakes.
Thanks to the internet, we are all so much more knowledgeable about the world in general, and we can find out so much detail about any topic we want at the click of a button.
When I searched “How to start a blog” I had 3,570,000,000 results in under 1 second! That’s crazy.
With all that content, surely I could do it without any problems and create amazing content that would reach a like-minded audience that I could connect and grow with.
But I was overwhelmed instead of inspired. I had no idea where to start.
And that’s when I did what I always do.
I just fricking started.
I didn’t know what I was doing (I’m not sure I really do now), but I focused on finding guides that would help me figure out the basics and get it off the ground, and just did it.
Was it messy? Yes. Was it scary? You bet your arse it was. Am I making mistakes? Hell yes!
But it also feels great to get started.
Get your finger out and start already!
Making that start, however messy it is, gives me energy to take the next step, and the next. It’s the buzz of making progress, trying something new and exciting.
As I start, I realise I have soo much to learn. But I also realise that I can figure most of it out as I go.
There are so many resources to help me, and I am getting better at knowing what help I need, and how to find it.
There’s always gonna be a damn good reason not to start something, but that’s just your fear talking!
Sometimes we get so bogged down thinking that to make a change in our life, we need to know how to get from the Starting Point to the End point (End point being total and utter success).
That kind of thinking stops us taking action. Because no one knows how to do that. Really, they don’t!
I think that the best way to start is to have a goal in mind (be that set up a blog, change career, learn to knit, get on top of my gut health etc) and just start taking action.
It can be really small steps.
Let's get practical
Let me give you another example.
Gut health is an area I want to improve (a very real issue for me).
I don’t know how I go from my current state to perfect gut health. Hell, I don’t even know what that looks like.
What I do know is that I can start by a) cutting out the crap from my diet (I know what that is, I don’t need to research that), b) drink more water and c) stop snacking between meals.
This is enough to get me started. I will fuck up, I will eat takeaways and drink too much wine, I will forget to drink water.
But I need to learn how to get back up after falling off the wagon. I need to learn what it feels like to eat in a slightly different way, to listen to my body a bit more. Just take a few small, positive steps.
After that, when I’m ready, I’ll take the next couple of steps and sit with that for a while too. See how it feels.
Maybe the next step is more intermittent fasting, or incorporating more exercise. Or something I haven’t even thought of yet.
But I don’t need to have it all figured out in the beginning. I just need to start and get into a groove.
I know that some people prefer to have lists and plans that they can follow. If that’s you, then great, do your thing. Make that plan.
The only advice I’d give is to make some room in your plan for changes. Keep it flexible. You may find that you need to adapt the plan as you go, as you learn about what works for you and what you need at each stage of your changes.
The moral of the story
I guess what I’m trying to say is, if there is something niggling the back of your mind that you’d like to start, then just start.
Life isn’t about everything being perfect, and I don’t believe you only get one shot to “make it”.
Take a chance on yourself and take a shot at something new.
I am taking my own advice here and putting myself out there! I’m hoping that you’ll enjoy what I write and let me know what you think, but there are no guarantees. I will do it anyway and get better every time (hopefully).
Why not let me know what you want to get started on in the comments below? I’d love to know what kind of changes are on the horizon for you
Take care of yourself
Gem x
