Overcoming Creator Anxiety: Lessons on Taking the Leap & Getting Started

When you haven't done something for a long time or if it's the first time you're putting yourself out there, there is an overwhelming amount of anxiety to just get started.

It's paralysing, and it reminded me of something I read online:

"Your first post is the hardest, 10th post is okay, and the 1000th post is the easiest."

Since I’m in the first iteration of podcasting, I kept finding myself hiding behind excuses that were different versions of "I am not going to start until...".

In my case:

• Until my microphone arrives

• Until I record 5 interviews

• ... and the list goes on.

Here are some things that have been helping me with this:

Clarity on the Next Step

I can't count the number of times I have sat at my computer and just not known what to do. The anxiety mixed with the sheer amount of tasks just leads to inaction.

What helped was getting clear on just the next step.

That's it.

I know there are 100 more steps after that, but it doesn't matter.

As long as I know what I am doing next, I can keep moving.

Progress Over Perfection

Since I have built a podcast before, I know how I can get it to a high standard. But it takes a lot of work, and it's easy to get stuck in the small details - e.g. the design of an image, the colour of a subtitle, video transitions, the audio experience of the interview.

What helps is doing the best I can, leaving it for some time, and giving it a final review.

If it's good enough in my second review, then it's good to go.

Time Blocks

I remember interviewing an author back in the days and asking how he wrote his book in between his many responsibilities. He was a high achiever, and he said how he just found 10 or 15 minutes here and there and wrote.

He would be waiting for a flight at the airport, and he would write.

Whenever he got a chance.

For some reason, this point stayed with me for years.

I still remember it, and today I appreciate how powerful a small amount of focused time is.

As I am writing this paragraph, I am at the gym lifting weights and resting in between. You could say it's a long rest between sets 😀, 10 minutes, but I don't really mind.

Have you struggled with the same? What helped you?

Speak to you soon,

Mifrah