Just do the first part.
That’s it.
There’s always preliminary stuff to do. You might not be sure about what comes next but just do that preliminary stuff.
Today, as is often the case, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go for a run so here’s what I did.
I turned off my brain. I turned off any murmurings of expectations about what I was going to do.
I took off my pants (sorry about the nudity in this post) and put on my running shorts.
I took off my shirt and put on my exercise shirt.
I changed into my running socks.
I put on my running shoes.
I walked outside.
I started running.
I ended up doing the full 3 miles I wanted to do.
I’ve talked about the value of “putting on the costume” before. This is a little different because it doesn’t just apply to what you wear.
I was making videos every week day. Very often, I had no plan as to what the video was going to be. That uncertainty can easily stop you cold. If you don’t know what you’re doing or why, then WHY DO IT?!
Well, I wanted to do it because I wanted to have a week daily internet show. So to get started I would just make a funny intro, apropos of nothing. Sometimes it would be a very elaborate intro involving clones. I’d come up with something funny and surprising and maybe technically/visually interesting.
Often while doing it it would give me a solid idea for the rest of the video. Not always. But I would continue anyway because I PUT ALL THAT WORK INTO THE INTRO! It would be a shame to let that go to waste.
Just start. Ideas be damned!!
(It’s been stagnant lately but I’ll get back to it!) I’ll just write the opening stuff you’re supposed to write for a scene.
INT. OFFICE. DAY.
Beardy man types dumb newsletter at his desk.
And then the brain is forced to ask the question, “What comes next?” And I’ll usually write what comes next. I may have had no idea what that would be until I typed those words.
I just knew I wanted to send out a newsletter today because it’s Tuesday. So I just did the first stuff first. I went to Substack, opened up this newsletter typey page, checked what number newsletter this is, put that in the subheading, and then thought about recent experiences.
Doing the preliminary stuff doesn’t just get you in the mood to start, it also removes the barriers to starting. Opening up this typey page removed all the little stupid stuff you gotta do to just get going. Now I’m sitting here with a straight line from my brain to this page because I removed all that crap.
Just like how I eliminated all middle steps to deciding to run by just standing outside ready to go.
Just like how I removed all the pesky details of making a video by sitting at my desk, turning the lights and camera on, having my video editing software fired up, and removing any expectations of ideas of what the hell to do.
So yeah. I’m glad I sat down and typed this.
Wink (ding),
Craig
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