Embracing the start,

// Overthinking

I'm out of routine, I'm currently sat in a hotel room on a Sunday morning writing this blog and for the last three hours, I've been working on an opening for a vlog which I want to release this week.

I have the idea of the opening of the vlog - it was going to be eye's opening on an alarm clock and then straight into the video - I recorded the alarm clock section at 6am (the opening you can see on the video is genuinely filmed at that time) - the problem is, it then took almost an hour to record a piece to camera which I wanted to deliver because I wanted it perfect.

Gone are my days of not rehearsing, scripting or planning for a video - thats how I used to create videos when I posted my first ever vlog in October 2021. It feels like forever ago and watching it back, I can see what I was doing wrong, leaving large gaps in video's, not giving a form of story but what I lacked in technical skills, I made up for in enthusiasm and pure willingness.

// Magical Starts

Have you ever noticed how the beginning of something new feels almost magical?

I remember filming a timelapse for the first time and editing it so it fit into a vlog (just like Casey's) and I was so happy with myself - but everything you start and do for the first time, is magical. That feeling when you write for the first time in a fresh notebook, sketching the first stroke on a blank canvas, or embarking on an unplanned adventure, the act of starting gives you that undeniable sense of freedom.

There are no expectations, no comparisons, and no pressure to be anything other than what you are in that moment - you have no experience of what you're trying to achieve and you just do your best in trying to reach that expectation in your head.

Quite often, you'll think you'll have met that expectation at the start because you're looking at your work in a joyous way - looking back, you'll realise that you didn't meet those standards but thats ok. The aim was always to just start - too often, we hesitate.

We overthink.

We let the fear of what comes next keep us from experiencing the pure joy of taking the first step.

But what if we embraced starting as a skill in itself - one that unlocks creativity, silences fear, and propels us forward?

// Beginnings

Beginnings are powerful because they exist outside of judgment - when I got a guitar for Christmas a few years ago and I first picked it up, no one expected me to play like Jimi Hendrix or Ed Sheeran (as much as I would have loved to).

When you write your first blog post, no one assumes it’ll be a bestseller and it's this lack of expectation that makes starting so liberating.

Think about a child learning to walk. They stumble, they fall, they try again - all without the burden of comparison, no-one has an expectation of anything other than the time and patience it takes for them to get going and once they're walking, no-one ever judges them for how long it took to get there. There’s no shame in their wobbly steps, only curiosity and a determination to succeed (which is what we all have when we start).

Imagine if we all approached new ideas and ventures with the same fearlessness.

At the start, the world is wide open. There’s no past success to live up to, no audience waiting to critique your every move. It’s just you and your curiosity, exploring what’s possible.

Contrast this with what happens once we’ve been at something for a while - when there is a slight expectation of what people want to see. The further we progress, the more we internalise expectations - both our own and those of others - we catastrophize and believe that without perfection, we're going to be seen as a failure.

I know for me - I begin comparing myself to those further ahead. I chase perfection. I hesitate to take risks for fear of failure. And so the cycle begins.

Now, I know in my mind that when you watch my vlog - you won't see the swipe cut from the moment I show the alarm clock and I pick up the camera (it was filmed to allow myself time to do that properly) and you won't see the agony of me looking at the drone footage and wondering if anyone else notices the colour grade mismatch - in all honesty, I don't look at anyone else's footage like I do with my own and that's what frustrates me.

I know that this is why so many projects stall after an exciting beginning - you start inspired and then the worry sets in once you start to see the gaps in your own skillset. A musician, thrilled to write and release their first song, suddenly wonders if it’s good enough to share. An entrepreneur, eager to launch a new business, second-guesses their every decision once real-world pressures set in - I know I do.

Perfectionism, external validation, and fear of judgment creep in, suffocating the freedom we once felt.

// Mindset

So how do we maintain the magic of starting even as we get further into the journey?

The answer is about embracing the beginner’s mindset.

It's a concept which I've really used in a business world but it's rooted in Zen philosophy, it says that we should approach every experience with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to learn - no matter how experienced we become. I do it every day at work - asking questions, being humble enough to listen to opinions without judgement and be open to new ideas.

If you’re waiting for the perfect moment to start, stop.

Perfection is an illusion, and readiness is often just an excuse wrapped in fear. The truth is, starting is what makes you ready and then it's all about just repeating it over and over because you will get better - my blog, my videos, my work life - everything has improved the more I have worked on it.

Taking action, no matter how small, creates momentum. And momentum is what turns ideas into reality.

I have to stop focusing on the micro details and really focus on getting the content out - I mean, these blogs are a prime example of just relentless publishing and I'm guessing this is what Gary Vee means when he spouts on about posting so much - the more you post, the better you get and then you'll find a place which is your own.

// Copying

I want to mention something because I think it's relevant and that's the fact that we all 'copy' something when we first start out - if you're learning the guitar, you'll learn a song that someone else has written. When I first started out with my videos, I was inspired by Casey Neistat and his fresh, unfiltered editing - I replicated that and tried to copy some of the techniques.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the copying trend - it's the best way to get started but I think this is where our problems arise - we're copying something which has a level of accomplishment attached to it.

It's the absolutely the best way to get started because it's inspirational and aspirational - without those characters or levels of achievement, there would be a hell of a lot less 'artists' out there.

You have to blend own skills with the expectations of achievement - once you've got to a specific level, you're going to want to branch out by yourself and to some degree, stand on your own two feet.

Feel free to copy - be as creative as you can be with the inspirations you take on board and then let it all go when you've got what you need.

// Starting

Starting is a gift - it's that space where you can look back and know that 'those were the good times'. It’s where creativity flows without inhibition, where possibilities are endless, and where progress begins - it's a wonderful space where you can just do what you want and not worry about much else.

So, what have you been putting off?

What idea, project, or dream have you been waiting to “get ready” for?

Let this be your sign to begin.

Not tomorrow.

Not next week.

Today.

Because the moment you start, you unlock a world of potential. And that, more than anything, I want to see it.