5, 4, 3, 2, 1!

It’s been far too long since I have spent any effort on my personal growth. I have talked about doing things till I’ve been blue in the face, talked about countless project ideas with my car or things around the house, planned out game ideas and made some rough design documents, prototyped card games with my wife and friends and done the occasional game jam but each time not matter how hard I have tried, I have not been able to get beyond that first initial hump. The hump of self-doubt that looms over everyone at the beginning of an idea right after the initial novelty and excitement has worn off. The feelings that attack with full force, screaming at you saying your not equipped, you don't know enough, how are you going to do that!  Starting now, this is going to change!

(Author: Mel Robbins)

My wife and I have been listing to quite a few books on Audible, we have listened to self-improvement titles such as “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck” & “The 5 Second Rule” to the suspense novels like “One of Us Is Lying” & “Death of Mrs. Westaway”.  I have really been enjoying the time we spend together listening to these titles. When we listen together it feels like we are growing together and after each time we listen we always seem to have a brief chat about what we just listened to and I really feel like that brings us closer as a couple.  While listing to “The 5 Second Rule”, author Mel Robbins said something that really hit home for me. She was talking about how the human mind is quite literally wired to run and flee when faced with adversity and the unknown and when that happens the only way to overcome that is to just do! Push though and face that fear head on.  Hearing this simple truth was so profound and enlightening to me that I literally felt something change.  I can’t really pinpoint what changed but I can definitely say that a weight has been lifted and I feel like I now am able to face these roadblocks head on.  

The truth of that statement is so simple and deeply ingrained in everyone that we already know it to be true, but the power in having someone else tell you those exact words, hearing it come from outside of your own head, from an outside party with zero connection to you and your life is simply incredible.  The premise of The 5 Second Rule is that every time you realize your brain shutting down due to adversity, that moment when you start making up excuses trying to get out of something you don’t want to do you count back from 5 and just do it.  It’s a brutally simple concept but it stops your habitual self-doubt mode of thinking and refocuses your brain and allows you the time to push yourself to do what you need to do. 

(Mel Robbins)

For the past 10 years I have wanted to create video games, create works of art and share them with the world.  I have wanted to build a personal brand and build a company with my wife, I have wanted to talk about the projects I am working on or just random ideas that have been plaguing my interest.  These are just some of the things that I have wanted to do but have been too scared to do for one reason or another.  Either due to fear of rejection, fear of my ideas being called stupid, fear of failure or plain old just don’t feel like I am good enough or know enough to do the things that I want to do. 

Recently I have found some self-motivation and begun to learn some new skills, practice the things I need to improve on and just do the things I’m interested in and if I enjoy them, well then I’ll practice and get better and learn along the way!  It doesn't matter if I fail along the way, because now I realize that there is no reason to fear failure.  The trick to success is to fail quick and to fail often. After all, one of the best ways to learn is through failure. when you fail it gives you the chance to apply critical thought and problem solving skills to that failure and learn why the failure occurred in the first place.

It’s still very early in my adoption of The 5 Second Rule but I have already started my blog again, although its just my first post back, I have committed to using Twitter to help build a personal brand and show off what I am working on, complete at least an hour a day into game development and communicate my needs and wants better to the world and my wife.  I can’t stress enough how excited I am to see what this year brings to my wife and I but I can tell you that we are going to be making things happen!