One is bigger than zero

One is bigger than zero.

My boyfriend told me this once, and I think about it a lot. Especially with this blog.

I know consistency matters, but ever since I shared The Self Lab on Instagram, I’ve felt strangely reluctant to write. I’m not completely sure why. Maybe I’m scared. Maybe I want everything to be perfect before I put it out there.

I think that’s the problem: perfectionism. It makes creativity so much harder. And then somehow, it creates anxiety too. Because deep down, you know what you want to do, but you keep avoiding it.

I once heard someone say that anxiety can sometimes come from knowing you could do something about a situation, but not doing it. That really stayed with me. I don’t know if there’s a magical solution, other than actually doing the thing.

The truth is, we all carry these ideas in our heads about who we want to be and what we want to build, not for our jobs or for other people, but for ourselves. And those ideas can feel comforting. But they will never become real without action.

Usually, taking the action feels harder than the action itself.

Starting somewhere helps. What I’ve found useful is being honest with myself first, admitting that I’m procrastinating, and then making myself do it anyway.

Another barrier I’ve realised is this: sometimes I spend time listening to people talk about the thing I want to do, like creating content or travelling somewhere new, instead of actually doing it myself. It feels productive, or inspiring even, but sometimes it’s just another way of avoiding the real thing. You admire something in someone else, but instead of becoming or doing it, you stay stuck watching it.

I still don’t know if there’s a better solution than forcing yourself to take action. But I do know that the reward afterwards is almost always worth it. The anxiety fades. You feel lighter.

So for now, maybe the goal is to start before I feel ready.

And if you know a better way, please let me know.