Start Living Your Potential: 3 Things I Learned From A Failed Blog

When trying to live one’s potential sometimes, and for some individuals, there is a phase - the Ostrich moment - which can tend to last forever.

In that moment there is a proliferation of self-doubt and disbelief where people feel as though they are an Ostrich, head stuck in the sand not wanting to emerge and face the reality of the here and now. For many people it shows up differently; an unwillingness to be different in dress, speech, thoughts, actions, or any way that disrupts the current status quo of who people know us to be. This is the boundary between one’s current life and living one’s potential. In order to overcome you have to first know where that boundary of inertia exists for you. Once this is identified along with our goals for surpassing this then one can develop systems that will help on the long walk to freedom. On that journey one must not consider or be afraid to make mistakes. It is all a part of the journey, the alchemy of change.

During my years as an undergraduate I wanted to start a successful blog. After much deliberation and semesters of no progress, eventually I did launch my Wordpress blog RebelSoulKreationz. However, I hadn’t clearly defined what I intended success to be. Even so, I always believed it didn’t turn out to be as successful as I had wanted. At most, I got 3 views! 

I would like to share 3 things I learned from a failed blog. 

1. Start

The first step to accomplishing anything, much less living your potential, is to start. Too, it can be the hardest part. Maybe you have a clearly defined idea in mind of exactly what it is you want to do or the end goal you anticipate. Yet you may still have the question of ‘but how do I start’? 

Take the first actionable step that comes to mind! Pick up the pen, make the phone call. It is either you start or you don’t start. It is as binary as that. You just need to start.

        The great thing about starting is that it gives you the momentum to continue. “I have already begun, why not just keep going.” With this renewed vigor you can take time to craft the idea further. You get to see what it looks like outside of your head and then get a chance to make revisions as you see fit. 

As a creative individual I find it especially hard to start. I always want to have the right circumstances, the right resources and the right knowledge so that I can succeed at whatever I start. As a result I tend to remain in the planning phase and rarely ever transition to the active execution phase, in most cases failing even to start. 

Despite this I still have grand dreams where I conjure vivid imaginings of my ideas and their future implementation. And sometimes I actually start and the result is nowhere near the grand scale imagined and it further ruins my ability to start other things. 

One thing to note is that starting may give momentum to keep going but not initiative to redefine the vision. When you have started there are some things that will cloud your mind based on your initial interpretation of what you want to do or see. Do not be afraid to change the starting plan. 

2. Research

Do some research on all that you should know. Delve within yourself and find out what it is that you envision this to be. Outline all the details and leave nothing to chance. Provide yourself timelines and outcomes by which to measure the effort you are putting in. 

Do research on what it is that you want this to look like in all its form and complexity. What are you aiming for, how is it already being done, and how you can do it with your own twist. This is where I failed. I started the work but never took the time to do research on defining all the factors. Too many things were left up to chance and in the end the effort that was put in did not yield the intended returns.  

Do not get hung up on the fact that someone else is doing the same thing too and maybe even in a strangely similar way. You have a unique perspective based on life factors as minute as a single strand more hair on your head than your competitor. Conducting research allows you to hone in on that perspective to give you the vantage point. Lack of research is lack of knowledge. If you do not know then you cannot do. 

Remember, too, that research demands note taking and practical applications in most cases.

3. Still Dream Big 

Even if you start and do research, there is no guarantee that you will achieve what you envision. Still dream big. It is by dreaming big that we have the courage to start, continue, strive, and to excel. You will need this tenacity six months or a year down the line when you are still reaping results that are similar to day one. You will want to see progress and change. Maybe it is right around the corner. Maybe it is not. 

The fact is that everything that we are doing is a manifestation of the ideas and conjuring(s) within our mind. As long as this remains true there can be no room for small minded thinking. If you dream small, you achieve small. If you dream big, it stands to reason, you could achieve big too. One day you will make it. That has to remain foremost in your mind. This provides the perseverance you will need to win. 

Do not let your Ostrich moment last forever. Get your head out of the sand and stop hiding from life/problems. Deal with it/them slowly and in your own time. Knowing is half the battle. It is not a sin to know and aspire to lead the life you love. Life is not a spectator sport where all you can do is watch your life passing by. Start today. Research where you want to end up. And still dream big, always!

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