I have a brand new website! Honestly, I still can’t believe that it’s true. I’ve wanted a new space like this for such a long time and I never thought I would have it so soon. It felt impossible. Was it easy? Haha! Absolutely NOT! There were many times that I thought it would never get done or that certain ideas wouldn’t work. Many times I wanted to just throw my hands up and say forget it altogether. (The frustration was real guys! haha)
But here we are! And now that it’s finished and out in the inter webs world, there are a few lessons I took from the whole experience. Hopefully it will help you as well in whatever next step you’ve been thinking about taking.
Just Start
Starting something can sometimes be the scariest step in the entire process. So many doubts and fears can (and will!) come into your head. When I was first presented with the possibility of being able to have a new website, I got excited at first. And then slowly as the process went on I realized how daunting it was. (For me at least.) So many decisions! There were SO many times that I felt very overwhelmed by even the smallest task. If I knew ahead of time what a headache it was at times, it might have deterred me from doing it altogether. Which is why I’m thankful we don’t know until we try something. Right?
Every good thing in my life usually started with that one first “scary” step, that now, I’m glad I took. It’s moments like these that keep me coming back to that famous quote by Martin Luther King Jr.
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”
Step by step, one at a time. Each step might seem like the end of the world but eventually you’ll look back and see that you’ve reached the top of the stairs to see how far you’ve come. It’s a journey that’s well worth it!
Ask For Help
Stopping to “ask for directions” isn’t just for the men! It’s for the ladies too! Especially if you’re used to being independent and absolutely hate admitting that you can’t do something on your own. (Anyone else or is it just me?) In today’s culture it’s all about “the independent woman” and holding on to your pride so tightly where you’d rather sink (alone!) than allow someone to help you swim across to the shore. It isn’t easy asking for help but I’ve learned it’s absolutely necessary to any level of success. (Whatever that looks like for you.)
So, if I’m being honest, I needed a LOT of help! I’m not the most tech savvy person and if I feel like I am out of my comfort zone (which I was/am) I get frustrated super quick! There were times where I was really proud of myself when I would take the initiative to figure a certain task out, only to find out that I didn’t do it exactly how it should have been done. It was usually because I was missing a step or the basic knowledge about the inner workings of a website and how it was all connected. The person helping me would simply remind me to ask for help for things I wasn’t fully knowledgable in so that things would get done more efficiently. I eventually gave in and realized they were right so I asked for help on a pretty regular basis.
At first I didn’t like the fact that I had to ask for so much help but I quickly realized that we were a team and that meant that I had to know what my skills were…and what they weren’t. I had to remind myself that the end goal was making a great website, and that meant handing over the reigns to someone a lot more skilled than I was. Asking for help doesn’t mean that you’re week. It’s quite the opposite actually. Asking for help means that you’re strong, wise, efficient and are willing to do whatever it takes to build the vision that you see for yourself and your life.
Good Things Take Time (but don’t procrastinate)
I don’t know what your patience level is like but mine is definitely still a work in progress. When I get an idea in my head that I want to achieve, I want it done immediately! Or, as soon as possible. I’m not a fan of waiting on an idea to come to fruition. Especially when it’s something that I’m really passionate and excited about. It took a few months to finish this website from start to finish. Another moment of honesty here? It probably could’ve been done sooner. Why, you ask? Procrastination! The enemy of progress. You might be thinking that’s a bit of a contradiction seeing as how I like things done asap, right? Well, yes and no. I was passionate about this project but once I realized that it was gonna be tougher than I thought, my frustration level crept in here and there, which caused me at times to ignore it and sweep it under the rug. Sometimes for days or weeks at a time.
On the one hand I wanted the website to be done so I could share it with all of you. On the other hand I wanted to take my time and make sure it was the way that I wanted it. There were times that I went back and forth about the content, the theme, colours, design etc. It was a lot of decision making and as I said earlier, it got overwhelming at times to the point where I needed to walk away and take a break from it for a little bit. That way I was able to come back with fresh eyes… and a better attitude.
On the one hand it’s good that it took as long as it did because the website ended up being what I wanted it to be. On the other hand, I learned that there is a fine line between taking the time to do things right and avoiding the inevitable. Take a step back if you need to, to gain a fresh perspective, but don’t hold off on the next step simply because you’re afraid of the work and the time that it requires to finish the job.
You Can Do Hard Things
I would’ve thought I’d had learned this by now but I suppose sometimes we all need a little reminder. Building a website is nothing compared to other difficult things that I’ve experienced over the years. And if there’s one thing I know, it’s that I can endure some pretty tough stuff! We tend to underestimate ourselves when it comes to rising up to any kind of challenge. That it’s “too much”. It’s “too hard.” And sometimes it definitely seems that way when you’re in the middle of it. But if you look back over your life like I have (now in my 40’s), you realize that you can do hard things.
Just because you’re out of your comfort zone doesn’t mean that you’re not capable of whatever is in front of you. Sometimes it’s acknowledging the fear and doing it afraid anyway. Sometimes it’s taking that first step and learning as you go. Sometimes it’s realizing when to ask for help where we find ourselves lacking on certain subjects. And sometimes it’s a literal leap of faith where you do all you know to do and let God handle the impossible stuff that is out of our hands. Sometimes, it’s remembering that someone out there is depending on you to start and then finish that hard thing because it will encourage them to do the same in their own life.
Whatever that “next step” is for you, take it. Just start. Ask for help if you need to. Be patient. Don’t procrastinate. You’re stronger and more capable than you think.
So, what are you waiting for? ;)