Last week, I did all the research I needed to redo the waitlist for the app I’m planning to build with my college friend. I even made the template I posted about. I had everything mapped out—each section, the domain, the hosting, and a template for the actual site. And yet… I didn’t do it.
Yeah, part of it was that I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather these past few days, and I had to catch up on my daytime job. But still, I realized I’ve been spending way too much time just reading, researching, and thinking, and very little time actually doing.
I’ve got tons of little projects around the house that are half-finished. I’m even building a toy with my kid, and I have everything I need—the software, the pieces—they’re all right there, just laying in front of me. But I still haven’t finished it. Sure, sometimes I don’t have time, but I think it’s more than that. Doing is harder than consuming information and telling myself I’ll get to it “soon.”
Honestly, even with this website, I feel like I’ve put in more effort here, just writing and posting, than I have into my actual projects. Something’s gotta change. I need to stop consuming information and thinking that just because I think I know how to do something, it’s magically going to get done. It’s time to take more action and stop fooling myself.
Here’s some nice quotes I came across a couple weeks ago precisely about that:
“The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.”
“The obstacle is the path.”
“Avoid Procrastination: Action over perfection.”
It’s funny, humans tend to hatch our most challenging goals and dreams, the ones that demand our greatest effort yet promise absolutely nothing, when we are tucked into our comfort zones. I was at work when Kostman laid out his challenge for me. I’d just had a warm shower. I was fed and watered. I was comfortable. And looking back, every single time I’ve been inspired to do something difficult, I was in a soft environment, because it all sounds doable when you’re chilling on your couch, with a glass of lemonade or a chocolate shake in your hand. When we’re comfortable we can’t answer those simple questions that are bound to arise in the heat of battle because we don’t even realize they’re coming.
5 million in 5 years… Shit, I was indeed sitting pretty in my home office with the AC on when I came up with that. Like they say in Spanish: “Soñar no cuesta nada” (Dreaming costs nothing).
Alright, time to see if I can follow my own advice.