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Damien Cosset
Damien Cosset

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Start before you are ready

Introduction

This post will be a little different from what I'm used to write. I tend to keep my articles in the technical realm of programming. This time, I'll have to talk about a subject that transformed my mindset lately. It will appear a little like a rant, and it very well may be :D

START BEFORE YOU ARE READY

I was reading for the second time Do the work by Steven Pressfield. The author describes an enemy, an enemy we all have, an enemy we have to face everyday, every time we try to do something ambitious. He calls that enemy Resistance.

What is resistance?

Resistance can't be seen or touched, it can only be felt. You feel it every time you have a big idea, or think about a big project, or consider a bold action. You may call it imposter syndrome. Resistance is felt every time you decide to reject immediate gratification in favour of long term improvement, or improving your health. Resistance is a bitch and will always be there, lurking around, ready to stab you at any sign of weakness. Fear, it never goes away. You will always be afraid before doing something bold, something important for your life, and resistance will use this to kill all your hope and dreams.

The good news is, you can use resistance as a compass. Resistance doesn't play by the book and is constantly full of shit. If you feel the resistance approach with his bullshit rhetoric, his 100000 reasons why this is not a good idea. Then, you know, you might be on to something.

So start, now...

Resistance will always give you good excuses. And you might even believe them, I know I still do sometimes...

But I'm not prepared yet...

It's too difficult of a project...

I'm not rich enough...

The state of the market is just not right...

Fuck that, fuck resistance.

I faced resistance when I decided to launch InvoiceMaker. I could have spent months preparing, studying different plans, UI, ways to do things. And delay... and delay...

So... I didn't prepare. I just started to code. And I made a very simple thing, and I launch. Is it awful? Yeah. Is it popular? Fuck no. Is it live? FUCK YES, AND THAT'S THE POINT!!

Your ideas and projects are nothing, until you start acting on it. Then, I started to write articles about the state of my application. I just did things, one at a time, slowly. And I got some AMAZING feedback. People just told me what they thought, and now I can tweak my thing, and improve, and keep going...

I'll just end up with this Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's quote:

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

No more excuses, write that blog post, start that application, apply to that job, talk to your crush, go for a run...

Good luck,💪 and fuck resistance! 🖕

Sorry for cursing, but it felt more dramatic 😬

Top comments (10)

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kimmydoray profile image
Kimmydoray

"Sorry for cursing, but it felt more dramatic"
-Damien 2019 LOL

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damcosset profile image
Damien Cosset

I will put that on my tombstone.

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Kimmydoray

hahaha

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rlchu profile image
ryan

needed to read this -- thanks!

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guin profile image
Angelika Jarosz

Yes! Its important to remember there is always more to learn and you will never feel "ready"

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Ronald Flores Sequeira

You have a total reason, this is something I have been facing for months now. You just give me the push to start Doing It.

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sergsoares_15 profile image
Sergio Soares

It need be remembering constantly.

Let's enjoy and just do it.

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Bill Morrisson

Hey Damien,awesome post by the way. I love your little app InvoiceMaker. I just tried to make an invoice and loved the final pdf document.

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damcosset profile image
Damien Cosset

So glad you enjoy it :)

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drozerah profile image
Drozerah • Edited

Sometimes resistance is the right behavior for instance when you have to face fascism, in that typical case, you have to fight resistance to resist... :)