What is the secret to success? Starting before you are ready!

By Becky Wong

Many of us wait until we’ve researched everything inside out, weighed up absolutely all of the pros and cons or we are simply paralysed by fear or indecision. So we do not even try to put our work out there because we do not feel ready.

What we do not see is the failed attempts that many others bounce back from for every person whose successes we see everyday. Do you want to know what their secret to success is? The trick is to keep on trying, learning and improving. So what are you waiting for? Start now. Start before you are ready.

I’d been planning for ages to update my websites. I’m not a big fan of putting my face out there, but being one of the trillions of Brene Brown fans I’ve been inspired to have courage, be more vulnerable and be in the arena. I’m challenging myself to put my face to Project Anywhere more. 😊 So I asked my partner Rod if he’d take photos of me to use on my website.

When I signed up to a 4-week online business course earlier this year by No Bull Business School, my Facebook ads began to bombard me with ads for other courses and services that could “boost my business”. All of those feature various “women smiling with laptop” (at least I wasn’t seeing stock photo ads of “women smiling with a salad”. 😂) Some photos I loved, some were pure cheese! Here’s a commonly used laptop-smiling-woman image I see all over the internet that I recognise from Unsplash, we’re joining the club here at Project Anywhere 😀 :

I started saving screen-shots of these ads featuring laptop-smiling-women and sharing them with my partner, Rod, for photography inspiration. The photo right at the top is the result of Rod’s impromptu attempt to take a few photos of me working (and smiling!) after our lunch at Kings Cross during another super short visit back to London this year.

I always tell others that we shouldn’t wait for perfection before putting something out into the world, that it’s better to throw “good enough” out there to see what sticks and what can be improved. I decided to put my money where my mouth is with Project Anywhere – with this website, with my stories, with my work, with whatever shape or form it ends up taking. It’s not perfect but I am constantly learning and improving. Because the truth is, the secret to success is starting before you are ready!

I’m sharing this photo again here because I posted it onto social media at the time. It then quickly made it’s way onto my website… My Mum told me she loves it (Hi, Mum!) 🥰 So smiles all around. 😄

What about you? What have you been putting off for a long while because you have not felt brave enough to begin? Will you join me in starting now?

What do you think about beginning before you are ready? Share your thoughts in the comments below or come into our Facebook group here to share with our online community!

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