Being Authentic and Starting Something

I am going to be pretty open in this article. It's my first on Linkedin so it takes a little bit of courage for me to put this out there. And there are those out there that may read this and know more about starting something or self-improvement than I do. But my goal is to share my thoughts with those who might have the same feelings I do about doubting if you are good enough or smart enough to start something and point you to some ideas that will help you develop the courage to start something new.

It's pretty easy to doubt yourself if you have never started something, in my case a blog and writing, possibly for a living we'll see where it goes. With the goal that the knowledge I can share might be able to help, even just one person, then it's worth doing for me. But it's still pretty damn scary.

So I started doing some research and found two people that gave some really good insights on what it's like to feel that you are not good enough or that you need to wait to formulate the idea before you start. One is the author of Atomic Habits, James Clear. The other is a lifestyle blogger that runs the blog Oui in France, Diane. From two posts I found I gained some valuable insight that I hope helps you. So here goes.

Create For Yourself

Six months ago I learned about the principle of continuous improvement, I probably should say I embraced it more than I learned it. This idea of getting better and how to improve drove me to where I am today sitting in front of a computer typing my thoughts down and sharing them with those who are open to listening. I came to a realization then, that I have a lot that I know and can share, but there is still a lot I can learn.

But there are times I feel I am not being myself, am I doing this for me or for the like button or to get as many views that I can. Diane gave some great insight in one of her posts, What I learned After My YouTube Video Went Viral. She said, "Make sure your truest intentions are from a place of passion and do it because it lights you up to put something out to the world."

One of my favorite authors Clayton Christensen called this, your intrinsic motivator. That what you are doing comes from a place deep inside and if that is the true motivation it doesn't matter how many likes you get you are doing it because it's your passion. So if doubt comes knocking, do it because you love it and forget the noise from everyone else.

In the Beginning, You're a Pretender

This is something I am struggling with big time. It's tough to put out content when you don't feel like an expert. It's the whole Imposter Theory idea and when you are brand new like I am to writing about this stuff you feel it. James Clear when he first started had the same feeling. When he first started his blog JamesClear.com he said:

"The funny thing is that you pretend you’re this expert, but in the beginning, you’re not an expert at all. I didn’t know anything about marketing a business, but as you write about it each week, and being the person who researches it each day, you become the expert.” 1

What I distilled from what he said is that the process is more important than the destination. The process of becoming that person will reinforce the knowledge that you gained along the way. Because the destination is finite it ends, but the process continues infinitely. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Just Get Started

I know for myself it's been agonizing whether I should start a website or do I keep researching and start it in a few months. I go back and forth on it pretty much every day. The words of wisdom from both Diane and James are, Just Get Started. Diane said, "Forget the bells and whistles and just get out there and create. The rest will come in time."

There was an article on JameClear.com about Achieving Goals. In the article, James shared his secret to getting started. He said he established the routine of simply posting an article every Monday and Thursday. He felt the schedule, and the time between days, was enough that he could get in a quality article every now and then. The habit of creating and consistently posting an article made it easier for him to sustain the habit till he was able to master it.

Learn How to Share

This was an insight I picked up as I read about James and Diane's success in becoming successful writers and bloggers. Learn how to share. The message that I want to convey through my writing, or the product or idea you want to share by starting something, has value. If it has value, it needs to have an audience, without one it might be difficult to help someone who needs to hear what you have to say.

Of course, I am starting my blog and this writing thing because I really enjoy it and I want to help others and you are probably coming from the same place. But James said he spent a good amount of time researching and understanding how to cultivate an audience. What happened to him? He became New York Times Best-Selling author, but it didn't happen overnight. It took years of writing and learning how to build his audience to launch as Whitney Johnson put it "into the upper part of the S-Curve."

Where the Rubber Hits the Road

This is the point where the rubber hits the road. I hope this piece has helped someone. I know that what I learned from reading about James and Diane's experience has motivated me to be authentic, to share who I am and some of the things I feel are important to say.

If there is anyone who reads this and has little more knowledge about writing or building an audience than I do and would like to share their insights with me I am more than happy to share insights I may have gained with you. Please feel free to reach out to me.