Why I Didn't Fail

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Do you know why most people fail? And the answer to this question can take various forms. The typical responses are: lack of motivation, not enough time, distractions, difficulty understanding complex concepts, or simply hitting too many roadblocks without adequate support. These are all valid, of course. They chip away at our resolve, turn grand ambitions into forgotten browser tabs, and leave us feeling like we're just not cut out for it.

But I've come to believe the real reason the one underpinning all those common excuses is that people never actually start.

Think about it. When I first started, all I did was consume endless tutorials and complete countless code-along projects. I thought that was progress. I was coddling myself into thinking I was moving the needle. Deluding myself that those steps were necessary because I was afraid that if I removed those safety guards, I would fail.

I was afraid to fail even when I hadn’t really begun.

And do you know how I go out of this mindset?

You simply have to do.

Stop second-guessing yourself. The thought that broke me out of purgatory was that I needed a portfolio website to draw recruiters to upcoming work. That was the thought. I needed a website.

I didn’t do research. I didn’t ask what I needed. I just began to build. I just started. And sometimes that is all you need to do.

So what will be the thought that makes you put your head down and just work because all the rest of it is just noise?

Don’t fail because you are afraid to start. Just start, and the rest will fall into place.

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