Jack of Many Trades

Project Do It Anyway

Originally posted: 2017-01-07

I was trying to decide what my tagline for 2017 should be. I found that the keep going refrain last year was quite helpful in a lot of ways, and I want to try harnessing that energy again.

Unsure, I opened Instapaper for inspiration, since I'd been stuffing link after link in there for days.

Skimming down, I found a Chuck Wendig post: Write Despite.

Immediately below it was a post from the Blogess: Stay Afraid. But Do It Anyway.

Feel the fear and do it anyway is a thing I've said to myself thousands of times as I fought off anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and checking compulsions. It's supportive. It's also relevant to my desire to work on my set points this year, modeling a willingness to reach for what I want regardless of whether I think I deserve it.

Magic is made up of candles and risks, and I've got lots of candles. If I want to push my game, I should be trying more things, maybe failing and maybe succeeding, and being okay with either one.

I've been a perfectionist all my life, and I am a long-time bet-hedger. Underpromise and overdeliver is what I live by life by. Watching 2016 stomp through my firmly reserved expectations was hard. Letting go is harder. But you have to throw the spaghetti to see what sticks.

I like the idea of that, though.

Not practical? Too selfish? Do it anyway.

Too high level for me? Do it anyway.

Scary? Hard? Do it anyway.

Sounds like what I need.