Here we are, the day before New Years Eve. It’s hard to believe how quickly this year has flown by. In fact, it seems like just yesterday that I was writing my first post for this blog, but as it just so happens, December 22nd marked the 6 month anniversary of Indecision & Cake! Please…hold your applause until the end.
When I first started this blog, I wasn’t entirely sure what it would turn into. I wasn’t even sure if I’d make it through a whole month of posts! And now, the New Year is upon us, and I couldn’t be more excited to keep this baby running!
One of my main goals starting this blog was to hold myself accountable to trying a new and creative project each week. It seems that my creativity over the past 6 months has mostly manifested itself in the form of food (Not that I’m complaining…I do love food!), but I’m also looking forward to busting out my big box of craft supplies that has been collecting dust for more years than I care to admit.
By committing to post at least once a week, I’ve had to ensure that I am always setting aside a certain amount of time to try something new. Some weeks have been harder than others, and I’ll admit, the “12 days of cookies” that I posted leading up until Christmas nearly killed me, but I did it! I’m still not exactly sure how…but I did it!
Speaking of which, something else amazing happened during that crunch time of back to back posts. Have you ever heard the expression “Done, not perfect”? Well that became my mantra for those 12 days. Coming from someone who can spend hours agonizing about something as simple as how to sign off on an email (Sincerely? No too formal… All the best? No too fluffy. Regards? No too cold..) that is a big deal.
There’s an immense sense of freedom that comes from finally saying you’re done something. It means you can move on to the next thing. Better yet, it gives you the chance to apply what you’ve learned to something brand new, so you can continue to learn and improve.
This is what I hope to carry into the new year with me – the ability to call something done long before I’ve let it fester into an anxiety attack. Even in the short time I’ve been chipping away at this little blog, I’ve had an abundance of…feedback…on how I should be doing things differently.
“You should be making videos…You should take a photography course so you can learn to take better photos…You should be posting 3 times a week…You need a different website template so your site looks less boring.”
While I know these comments all come from a well meaning place, I feel they are also part of the reason why many people (myself included) have difficulty pursuing things. After all, if you can’t do something perfectly on the first try, why do it at all, right?
WRONG.
It’s all about the process. You’re supposed to bugger it up on the first few tries. Even the first 50 tries! (See here for one of my all time favourite comics, featuring an epic pun of a very relevant expression.)
So for all my fellow perfectionist, anxiety fuelled, OCD homies out there, this is my New Year’s hope for you. I hope you not only find the courage to try the things you’ve always wanted to try, but more importantly, that you find the courage to fail at it, smile, and then do it all over again.
Here’s to a great 2019. Happy New Year!
Love,
Indecision and Cake
Hear! Hear! Hear!!!! The War of Art at its most true!
Congratulations on your first half year! ox