Is it in the genes? Or can I reprogram myself?
The story goes…
When David Kadavy interviewed James Altucher, a founder of more than twenty companies, on the question, how to start? He was hoping to hear some turning points in James’ life, perhaps moments that made him a real starter.
“I always thought I could do anything,”
To his surprise, James said. “I was in second grade, writing books that I thought were going to get published and be bestsellers.” While David kept pushing for more insight, James raised an important question.
“Aren’t you doing a podcast with me 6 thousand miles away? Didn’t you start companies and wrote best-selling books? What made you relocate from Omaha to Nebraska anyway?“
This is when David suddenly realized, he himself was a starter. But unlike James, he did not believe he can do anything.
What’s the takeaway?
The very doubt of “Can I really do this?” is a dilemma for many of us. Life without dreams lacks passion. But with too big of a dream, people stop believing they can still do it. The secret lies in recognizing our current achievements and start from there.
Start small and give yourself a pat on the back as you progress.
You are making a difference no matter big or small. To think about it in Steve Jobs’ terms, recognize an important fact…
You have poked life and got things pop out the other side, after all.
On another note, digging deep into important questions and analyzing to understand oneself, while often helpful, can become an excuse to procrastinate all together.
We can talk about how to start, when to start, and what to start. Oh and don’t forget why starting and the psychology of starting…
STOP doing that. Go and execute.
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Inspired by the book, The Heart to Start, by David Kadavy.
