Start Scared and See What Happens

Five years ago, I posted my first video on the Self-Employment Sidekick YouTube channel. It wasn't called that at the time; it used to be "David Steininger's YouTube Channel About Business And Stuff [Working Title]." Not as catchy.

I had no plan, no audience, and no real idea what I was doing. But I hit record.

That one small decision — to start, even though I was unsure of how it would all pan out — changed everything. Not overnight. Not without detours. But it got me moving.

And moving is what matters.

Fast forward to a couple months ago, and I found myself in that same uncomfortable place again.

This time, it was launching this newsletter.

I had no idea where it would go, no clue who’d be reading, no certainty that it would be worth it.

And if I’m honest? I’m still not totally sure what I'm doing with this thing.

But I’m doing it anyway. Because I've learned that the best way to figure something out is to figure it out as you go.

Start Swinging

That's not to say that you should never make a plan. But anyone who's ever tried to plan anything - a road trip, or a house project, or what you're going to feed your kids for dinner - should understand that things rarely go according to plan.

So why do we often insist on having everything nailed down before we swing the hammer?

You don't need a master plan, you need momentum.

If I've learned anything from starting my YouTube channel it's that clarity comes from action, confidence is gained through doing, and progress happens one small step at a time.

That’s true for launching a YouTube channel. It’s true for writing a newsletter. It’s true for starting a business, making a product, setting your prices, or emailing that first potential client.

Take a swing at it. You might miss completely. You might nail it on the first try. Or if you're like me, you'll tap the nail in at the wrong angle, bend it a little, and end up having to pry it out and start again. But it's really hard to build something by just thinking about building something.

So What About You?

What’s the thing you’ve been thinking about but not doing?

What’s the video, blog, product, service, conversation, or next step you’ve been stalling on because you’re not sure how it’ll go?

I can’t promise it’ll be easy. I can’t promise it’ll work.

But I can promise this: You’ll learn faster, grow stronger, and gain more clarity by starting than you ever will by waiting.

And who knows, maybe 5 years from now, you'll find yourself writing a newsletter about how it was the best decision you ever made.