You don’t need permission.

You don’t need permission to start any of the ideas that you have in your head. Firstly, because you have no idea what you need until you truly get started, and plans change. And second of all, because you already have all of the resources that you need to get started. Many of the ideas that people kick around in their head, remain as simply ideas. Oh, that gluten-free bakery, wood-working side business, French fry food truck, and origami class for the blind are all fabulous ideas. Well, maybe not the last one so much. Or at least they could be if allowed to grow in the real world.

“The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determined to carry out their dream.”

– Les Brown

Just start

In many ways, this is the first article that I have written for this site. It is most certainly not perfect, and may not be the most readable. But hopefully, it is cohesive enough and inspires others to get going. In many of the projects that I have, I’ve stopped once I hit a roadblock. But the truth of the matter is, that the vast majority of the projects that I would have liked, and still would like, to pursue die before they even get the proverbial ink to the page. There are many excuses, but I believe that they boil down into two main categories: a lack of self-confidence, and a perceived lack of resources. Here are some of the excuses that I’ve made to myself in the past.

1. I don’t have a unique enough product or service, and therefore no one would be interested in my offerings. (self-doubt)
2. I don’t have the time. (resources)
3. I don’t have the money. (resources)
4. I need to get more formal and/or technical understanding of the product. (self-doubt)
5. etc. etc.

Why excuses sound appealing

The reason that I think it is important to discuss these sort of things, is that many people feel exactly the same way. These reasons are more than simply excuses, although, at the end of the day, that is their true nature. What makes these types of thoughts insidious, is that they have a shade of truth to them.

1. It is very possible that my offerings to the market are redundant, or not extremely different. There are many people blogging and talking about financial independence for example. However, the way to get over this particular issue is to present it to the market place, and let the people decide. Give yourself sufficient time to vet out the idea. Perhaps by talking to others doing the same or similar thing, and ask them how long you should try before deciding that the idea is no good. It is possible that you have a unique product in ways that you didn’t foresee. In writing, for example, the individuals’ experience and personality flavor the dialogue providing fresh insights.
2. I don’t have the time. This one is almost a cliché by this point. And it is true to some extent. You are likely very busy with things that you are unable or unwilling to give up. In my experience though, most people are busy working on the immediate and irrelevant. Emails, social media, and watching the news are great examples here. Everything feels so important to address, learn, and respond to immediately. A helpful trick that I like to use, is when I tell myself that I don’t have the time, I always append it with ”…..for that.” It is a reminder that I only don’t have the time because I’ve chosen to prioritize other things over that task. For the majority of cases, this is probably a good thing, but when it is a task that could pay dividends and greatly increase life satisfaction, perhaps it is time to re-prioritize. Another helpful trick here is to keep a time sheet for the week. Simply set an alarm for every 30 minutes. Carry around a small notebook or piece of paper, and when the alarm goes off simply write down what you’re doing. Try that for a few days, and then look at where you’re spending the majority of your time. Are these tasks in alignment with your values and goals?
3. I don’t have the money is also likely to be true when you are just starting out. The truth is two-fold in my opinion. First, you likely don’t need much money to determine whether people are interested and willing to pay for your idea. Simply get out there, and validate your idea in the market place. This can be done fairly cheaply. For instance, set up a landing page to sell your product before you’ve even made one. Second, there is more money in the world than people know what to do with. Vast piles of money sitting in accounts earning next to nothing because people don’t know what to do with it. The remedy is again, to present your idea to others, and search out access to this money. If you have a good enough deal or idea, people will even pay you to build it.
4. The last one I listed is one that I struggle with personally. I’ve made the error many times that I think I need to learn more about a subject before I can begin pursuing it. I obtained a masters degree in my field before even working a single day in the profession. I don’t recommend you follow that path. Perhaps you’re like me and think that more schooling or education is the answer. In many cases, it may be. But if you’re using this as an excuse, for example by reading that 15^th dating book before asking someone out. You will be better off trusting that you know enough to get started, and you’ll figure the rest out as you go along.

But don’t let them stop you

These are the types of self-doubt that go through my head when I consider starting something. I’ve listed 4, but the list could go on and on. I take my general insecurities, and use them as excuses to not even start. Believing that I need to have the entire cruise line built before I can dip a toe in the water. But I know that I’m not alone. I’m tired of waiting and wishing. I hope that you’ll join me on this journey, as we seek to address financial freedom. Thank you for reading.