Yesterday, I filmed my next silly sketch video. I had been putting it off for days; writing it in my schedule of things to do, then agreeing that I’d do it the next day.

I tend to put things off which give me anxiety, and I get anxiety when I’m doing something of which I’m incredibly unconfident. I’m not a good filmmaker. I don’t know how to light a shot properly. I’m clueless when it comes to the editing process. Every time I make a video it feels as though I’m stumbling my way through to the end.

However, yesterday, I just said ‘fuck it.’ It was hypocritical of me to avoid the task when I preach constantly for people to just jump in and do things before they’re ready. “Your first anything will be shit…so you might as well just keep making shitty things until you get better.”

On a final note: I’ve found that when you stop thinking and just start something (e.g. writing, practicing an instrument or language, exercising…), after about 10 minutes in, you pick up momentum and enter a sort of flow state. It’s as if Resistance gives up and goes “Fine, I guess we’re doing this.”

It’s way harder to start doing something than it is to keep doing something. I’ll leave you with the brief story of my first Jiu Jitsu lesson:

Coach and I get down on the mat to spar. Coach pulls me into his guard. Me: (laughing) “I don’t even know how to start.” Coach: (calmly) “So just start.”