Off the Bench and Into the Game

Read time: 3.5 minutes

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Hey Reader,

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This week I’ll share a short story and discuss the mindset shift to help you get unstuck:

• Nothing happens while on the bench
• Starting before I was ready
• If you don't have courage, borrow it

Let’s dive in!

My working years started exhilarating. I vividly remember the excitement I felt when I received my first paycheck.

It felt like how I would imagine Mario feels when he eats the 1UP mushroom 🍄.

However, over time the feeling wore off. I NEVER developed an interest in climbing the ladder, nor did I care to be like any of the people above me.

At about 3 years in, I grew tired of the office, commutes, interviews, and the latest flavour of Javascript frameworks. Around the same time, I discovered Indie hacking.

It was exactly what I was looking for.

I spent weeks absorbing the stories of indie hackers. I had no clue that earning $10K + per month was possible as a solo developer, let alone $100K+.

Their achievements had my jaw on the floor.

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This was the game I wanted to play, and I was committed to figuring this out for myself. All it takes is an ounce of delusion, and I have just enough of it.

So what was the hold-up?

I had 0 bloody ideas, no clue where to start and was terrified of stepping into the unknown of building a business online.

Despite being ecstatic about Indie Hacking, I set aside this dream in hopes that THE idea would present itself within due time.

In 2020 It all changed.

I accepted a job offer at AWS, and my experience sucked. My work-life balance wasn't the best; I didn't enjoy the work and felt little connection with my coworkers.

An all-around poor choice for someone who wanted off the hamster wheel ASAP.

However, It was the kick in the ass I needed to commit to indie-hacking.

I had enough of the hamster wheel.

After many sleepless nights, anxiety-ridden mornings and bouts of depression. In Dec 2022, I tossed the job out the window.

That day I resigned; I radiated happiness.

I felt the weight of all the galaxies in the observable universe lift off me. I'm sure I levitated out of my seat from the pure joy I felt that day.
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So here is what I learnt:

Don’t wait

The “idea” would never materialize while waiting, especially with constant stress at work. To get unstuck, you need to avoid the most common mistakes:

• Waiting for inspiration to strike
• Waiting for readiness to start the journey
• Waiting for courage

We allow these barriers to prevent us from taking even a small step. As a result, we keep ourselves stuck where the opportunity remains on the horizon, yet always just out of reach.

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So, how do we fix it?

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Get off the bench

This is the first step, get off the bench and do something.

Nothing happens on the bench; Complacency and inaction are the enemies of progress.

Inspiration isn't available on demand, and waiting for it prevents us from seizing opportunities.

Instead, focus on starting and being consistent.

Break down your plan into the smallest possible units and take a step, even if it is a microscopic slide to the right. The key to consistency is simplicity.

Consider the case of an engineer working to build an app. This is an example of a small step: They could speak with a different customer daily to validate their idea. Before they know it, they have enough feedback to determine if the idea is viable.

The most successful entrepreneurs don't start with a groundbreaking idea. They find it through curiosity, trial and error. You waiting for inspiration is just procrastination.

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Start before you are ready

Resist the urge to fall into tutorial hell. Start with what you already know.

Waiting to accumulate 100% of the knowledge will leave you stuck buffering at 99%, and you will never leap.

This is usually to avoid mistakes and failure, but mistakes are the best teachers; you only fail if you don’t try.

Instead of taking courses or reading endlessly, apply everything you already know first, then level up when needed.

Just start, close your eyes, and press publish.

Starting imperfectly is better than not starting at all.

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If you don't have courage, borrow it

Finally, the last step is to find, borrow or create courage.

Get it from somewhere because it doesn’t appear out of thin air.

It is normal to feel fear when making a significant change. Fear keeps you safe but shouldn’t stop you from achieving your goals.

The mistake we make is to think that we are not the courageous type or that fear will eventually vanish. You won't build courage by waiting.

Here is what I do instead of waiting.

I ‘borrow’ courage from coaches and communities. Their guidance, encouragement, and experiences work wonders when I cannot muster the courage alone.

When I struggled with the fear of putting myself out there, I found a cohort writing course (ship 30 for 30) with a community of people on a similar mission. The community helped me overcome my fear in less than a week, which I couldn’t have done alone.

So don't wait for courage to find you. Draw from the strength of communities and coaches.

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Snack for thought

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It's as simple as that.

When you wait, you delay your learning, your progress, and ultimately your success.

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That’s it!