Handling Self Doubt and Battling Inactivity

Well... the problem is often that money is just part of it. Just because you spend some time and $10k (or some mixture) doesn't guarantee success. But... staying put in a job for those same months will very likely guarantee that $10k. And most people need that money because they're living, if not check to check, then dangerously close.

Additionally, it's typically not just that $10k. When that's spent, and the idea hasn't taken off, what should you do? The logical/safe thing and go back to the w2 world and keep working? Or do you dig in a "refuse to give up!" like so many self-help books/cds would tell you to do, and what so many tech/successporn blogs talk about.

"Look at all those 'founders' who are wildly successful!" you can say to yourself. "They didn't give up! When things went bad, they did a pivot!" And so you'll pivot, and spend more money, etc.

For some people, the journey is the reward, and that's fine for them. Personally, for me, having a long runway and low expenses would be important before trying to focus on any one idea (and that's what I'm working towards). So... in my case, and perhaps for many others, the "micro-actions" are (or should be) getting your finances in such a state that you can fund your own idea rather than pining away for investment money.

The "more criticism you receive means you should push on because it's a good idea" is... frankly, bizarre. There's probably a lot of counter examples to scenarios I'm thinking of, but often times people really do criticize something because it truly is bad. Not everyone is a negative dream stealer full of "stinkin' thinkin'".

As you said, you need to apply some 'common sense', but that's what's truly uncommon. People closest to their idea often are too emotionally invested in their baby, and to tell them "criticism == you have a good idea" would cause many people to spend a lot more of their time and money in pursuit of a bad idea. People also need to learn to separate criticism of the core idea/concept from criticism of the execution of that idea, to the extent that's possible.

Anyway, lots of reactions to that piece - thanks for posting it :)

" -I want to start my own business… -Oh it will never work, I don’t know what it takes ... -I guess I should just hope for that promotion at work… -Good, that sounds safe "

I decided a few weeks ago that I'd had enough at my job. Some new management came in and have really messed up a good place to work. And I missed out on that promotion...

I finally decided that I needed to do something. I've wanted to start my own business, but it takes a lot of effort, and I'd rather play with my kids. But there is time, you just need to find it.

I concentrate on pretending that the thing i want to do is something I cannot not do. Whats one activity that i do every day that I can't avoid doing?

Going to the bathroom.

So whenever I try to talk myself out of doing that activity I ask myself, "Can you avoid taking a piss for an entire day?" the answer is no.

I found that for me the feeling of having to take a piss is the one thing that conveys both urgency and inevitability at the same time. and that any activity that i catalogue as "the same" as taking a piss by association also becomes urgent and inevitable.

anyway, this is how I got myself to run 4-5 km everyday for the last year and a half.