i. do it anyway.
you'll always find a reason to wait. stop listening to your excuses and start before you feel ready.
one day you'll look back and wonder why you waited. you were tired. you weren't ready. the timing was never right.
by then, those reasons will feel small next to the thing you didn't do.
most things worth doing come with a good reason not to do them.
do it anyway.
these are the ten principles i try to live by. starting with that one.
ii. do hard things.
if you don't want to live like everyone else, you have to do what most people won't. that takes discipline and a lot of persistence. greatness never comes from ordinary effort.
iii. keep moving.
people who keep moving find their luck, and momentum takes you places you can't plan for. the same goes for your body. sitting all day rots your brain.
iv. own it.
take full ownership of what you do, especially when it goes wrong. stop complaining. that's how people learn they can trust you when things go wrong.
v. figure it out.
nobody is going to hand you a course or a manual. teach yourself fast and adapt to whatever comes up.
vi. work with intention.
moving fast is no excuse for sloppy work. know what you're making and why, then make it high quality and tasteful, every time.
vii. think for yourself.
stop letting other people do your thinking. use your own head until your instincts get sharp, then have the spine to stand by them.
viii. stay foolishly smart.
be curious about everything and ask the dumb questions. chasing the answers will take you to opportunities you'd never have planned for.
ix. have fun.
if it feels like work, you'll be outworked by people who are just having fun. do it for the plot. fuck around and find out.
x. talk to strangers.
they pull you out of your circle and your usual way of thinking. you become the people you spend time with, and strangers are where new ones come from.
the world around you was built by people no smarter than you, so you can change it and build your own things too. nobody is going to give you permission, and the right time won't come on its own. you'll be scared, and you'll be early. do it anyway. one day you'll look back and be glad you did.