A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
– Lao Tzu
I’ve been procrastinating writing because there are so many ideas running through my mind and I’m not sure the best way to share them. Oh well, I’ll take Lao Tzu’s advice and just get started!
I’m self-conscious about my writing so I decided to take a Udemy writing course: Writing with Flair: How to Become an Exceptional Writer. After watching only a few lectures, I’ve noticed a drastic improvement in my writing. However, I can’t help but think that my writing must be horrible if I’ve made improvements after taking less than 10% of this course. I’ve also made a concerted effort to regularly answer questions on Quora to improve my writing. It helps that I’m supporting my wife, Vickie, who just accepted an offer at Quora as their Monetization Product Manager!
What gets me through the fear of starting something new is the belief that I can master what I’m about to tackle. Yes, I may not be a master now, but nobody starts off a master. The word “genius” takes credit away from a person that has worked extremely hard at their craft.
Hearing TV analysts describe Steph Curry brings this idea to life. You’ll often see Curry pull off what can only be described by analysts as magical, unbelievable, and stunning. Here’s Portland Trailblazers owner and Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen’s reaction to Steph Curry after he scored the most points ever (17) in an overtime game to beat Portland in the 2016 playoffs.
Stunned Paul Allen in slo-mo pic.twitter.com/BdooOHvN42
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) May 10, 2016
Steph Curry wasn’t always perceived to be this good. In fact, he didn’t receive any scholarships from major-conference schools. He was drafted as a “risky” 7th pick overall and was widely looked down upon by NBA scouts for his size. It was his confidence, creativity, and hard work that earned him two MVP awards and an NBA championship. Curry dared to prove the naysayers wrong and worked his ass off to earn the title of a basketball “genius”. Just don’t forget that anytime you see him pull off a magical play, he has tirelessly practiced that exact move or shot to perfection.
I love sports because there are so many inspiring individuals who started from nothing and became masters of their craft. They are living proof that almost anything is possible if you believe in yourself and truly set your mind to something.
So, here I am taking my first step. I hope you’ll join me on my journey to become a startup life coach.
Photo by Nathan McBride on Unsplash
