Ep.66 Living Boldly by Being Brave Enough to Begin

Have you ever been paralysed by the fear of starting something new? You're not alone. Join me in this mini-episode as I share my own struggles with launching this podcast and my writing on Substack. We'll unpack the reasons behind our hesitation, and why the fear of imperfection can often hold us back. February is a reminder that it's never too late to chase after what truly excites you, regardless of the calendar date. Each day presents a fresh opportunity to take action and ignite your passions. 

Here are some actionable strategies to break free from the comfort of dreaming and step into the thrill of doing. We'll tackle common roadblocks like judgment and perfectionism, and learn the art of setting "be shit" goals to embrace the learning process. By adopting a playful, experimental mindset, we can navigate the fear of being imperfect and start making strides toward the life we desire...

Chapters

• 0:00 Embracing Change and Adventure
• 3:57 Overcoming Excuses and Embracing Beginnings
• 10:38 Staying Bold and Rebellious

Transcript

Zoe Greenhalf: 0:00

Hey, I'm trying something new and it might be messy, but I'm excited kind of way, because people respect honesty and they'll often cheer you on. Hey there, welcome, or welcome back to the Mischief Movement podcast. I'm Zoe, your guide on this journey to shake up the status quo and design a life that truly makes you feel alive. If you've ever felt disconnected, stuck on autopilot or trapped in a life that feels more like a treadmill than an adventure, you're in the right place. I know that change can feel scary, so let's turn down the fear and crank up the fierce as we transform your life from the inside out. Whether it's solo episodes packed with actionable advice or interviews with some absolute badass human beings who dare to defy the norm by living life their way, we're here to inspire, activate, empower and challenge you each week. My mission is simple To help you reawaken your rebel spirit, break free from mediocrity and design a life that's anything but dull. You only get one wild life, so what are you planning to do with yours? If you're ready to stop settling, start living boldly and create a positive impact along the way, let's dive in and stir up some mischief together. Now buckle up and let's go. Hey, you rebellious, rule-breaking, adventure-seeing legend. I am back, and today I am diving into something that stops so many of us in our tracks the fear of being a beginner or, let's be real, the fear of being a bit shit at something when we start. Now I get it. No one wants to suck. No one enjoys being awkward, that kind of fumbling around in the dark, feeling or looking like they've got no clue what they're doing. But guess what? Every single person you admire was once a beginner. Every rock star was once a kid struggling with their first guitar chords. Every writer was once terrified of a blank page. And every entrepreneur they all had that moment of oh shit, what have I done? When they launched something new, I was exactly the same.

Zoe Greenhalf: 2:18

Starting this podcast, I sat on my desire to have one for about five years, which is so embarrassing, isn't it to say that? And I'm now doing the same thing over on Substack, and I wrote about it the other day saying, admitting really, that I know my writing is not brilliant, but I'm prepared to sit in the discomfort of being a bit shit for a while until I start to get better. So why do we hesitate? Why do we sit on the sidelines when there's something we so desperately want to do? And, most importantly, how the hell do we get out of our own way and start Now?

Zoe Greenhalf: 3:03

I have recorded a previous episode about getting out of our own way, but it just felt particularly poignant considering at the time of recording we're just entering February and I know that so many people start the year in January with all of these intentions and then life kind of gets in the way a little bit. Something happens you get a curveball and suddenly, before you know it, you're in February and you're like oh, that's a whole month down the drain where I didn't start. Well, okay, what's the point? And I'm kind of here to remind you that there's still a point. There's 11 months left of the year, so don't throw it away just because you didn't get going in January. Ok, every day is a good day to begin that thing. It doesn't matter what the date is. So, anyway, why don't we start?

Zoe Greenhalf: 3:57

Number one? It's the fear of judgment. I know I suffered from this with the podcast. It's that kind of what will people think? Are they going to laugh at me? Are they going to roll their eyes? Here's the truth, though. Most people are too wrapped up in their own stuff to care that much about what you're doing, and those people who judge are usually the ones who are too scared to take their own leap anyway.

Zoe Greenhalf: 4:21

Number two is perfectionism, because we want to be good immediately. I know that's how I feel about everything and it's been like that my whole life. I hate being bad at stuff, but as I've got older I've definitely got a lot better of accepting that you've got to start somewhere, right, because that's not how mastery works. You can't be good immediately. You think about the first time you tried to ride a bike. You didn't just hop on and pedal gracefully into the sunset, you wobbled, you probably fell off. You might have cut your chin open, but you still kept going and eventually you got it and you flew.

Zoe Greenhalf: 4:57

Number three comparison paralysis. So you're looking at the experts and thinking, oh my God, I could never be that good. Yeah, but they've been at it for years. So you know you might have heard this before, but comparing your day one to someone's year 10 is like I don't know. Like expecting to bench press 100 kilos when you've never even lifted a weight before, like you've got to keep those expectations realistic. And number four the comfort of thinking about it. This is another thing that I've definitely um suffered with in the past.

Zoe Greenhalf: 5:31

So dreaming about doing something feels good, right, because it keeps the fantasy alive and you're sort of losing yourself in this wonderful feeling of oh someday. But actually doing it means you've got to face the discomfort of being a beginner, and that's where most people stop. But I don't want that to be you. I want so much more for you, because I just want you to get going. The whole point of this podcast is to remind you of the possibility that's out there. I want you to feel that sense of aliveness that maybe has been missing.

Zoe Greenhalf: 6:10

So not today, not today. You're not going to just sit on this. Today we're going to call BS on these excuses. Today we're going to get messy Today. Bs on these excuses. Today we're going to get messy. Today we are embracing the art of being a bit shit so we can get better, faster and be more badass. So how are we actually going to start First up? I want you to lower the stakes.

Zoe Greenhalf: 6:37

So stop treating your first attempt like it has to be a masterpiece. Make it a low pressure experiment instead. You want to write? Start with a short, messy journal entry. You want to start a business, sell one thing. You want to run a marathon? Go for a 10 minute jog. Okay, you get the idea. It's the tiny steps that lead to the big moves. So don't try and run before you can walk. Take the tiny little things and get them done first.

Zoe Greenhalf: 7:09

Number two set a be shit goal. So, instead of trying to be perfect, aim to just be consistently shit for a set period. Give yourself a beginner month where the goal isn't to be good, it's just to show up every day. Show up for that thing, that passion, that that creative idea that you're desperate to to birth into the world. Just show up for it. Okay, it doesn't have to be that brilliant. The third thing I want you to think about is to make it public, but do it playfully. So announce your beginner status. I know this is going to feel so uncomfortable for some of you, but not in a kind of look at me I'm terrible way, but in a hey, I'm trying something new and it might be messy but I'm excited kind of way, because people respect honesty and they'll often cheer you on.

Zoe Greenhalf: 8:02

So the fourth thing I want you to think about is to find the evidence that you can do hard things. So think back to every time you were terrified, but you did the thing anyway. It might be moving to a new city, starting a job that you weren't qualified for, I don't know, even like learning to drive. You have done scary things before, and this is just another one, and I was reflecting back on some of the hard things that I've done. From taking a job as a English teacher in an Italian school, had no idea what I was letting myself in for. Uh, moving to Italy in the first place, I didn't know anybody, I didn't hardly speak the language. I could barely order a panino, let alone um. You know, have conversations with people, and yet somehow starting a podcast felt really scary, and starting a sub stack also felt really scary. So find the evidence. You definitely can do hard things and you've probably been doing them most of your life.

Zoe Greenhalf: 9:00

The fifth thing is to adopt a kind of fumbling mindset. Okay, so maybe we won't officially call it that, but what if you just embraced the messy middle? Okay, so instead of trying to be great, you leaned into the joy of experimenting. Just get good at experimenting. The actual result doesn't have to be brilliant. Find the fun in the process of getting that creative thing out into the world, because that's where really where the joy is going to be anyway. So here's the truth being bad at something is a necessary part of being great at it. You don't get to skip the awkward phase. I'm afraid the only way to get better is to go through it, not around it. So whatever you've been putting off whether it's starting a business, picking up a guitar, writing a book, learning to surf, whatever just start. Let yourself be a glorious, messy beginner, and one day you will look back and be so damn proud that you did.

Zoe Greenhalf: 10:08

That's it for today. It's a short one, but I hope it lit a bit of a fire underneath you and reminded you that it doesn't matter if it's not January. It's still a good time to get going on that thing that you are so passionate about. I don't want to see you keep it inside you. I want it to come out. I want you to feel alive. So if you are ready to take action, drop into my dms on instagram or come hang out with me over on subsec and tell me what's the thing that you're finally gonna start.

Zoe Greenhalf: 10:38

I'll be back next week with another guest episode, so you can look forward to that, and in the meantime, you you know it keep making mischief. That's a wrap on another episode of the Mischief Movement podcast. If today's content stirred something in you, let's keep in touch on Instagram or connect with me on LinkedIn. You can even click the link in the show notes to sign up to my Mischief Mail newsletter, where you'll get exclusive insights on upcoming episodes and your chance to submit up to my mischief mail newsletter, where you'll get exclusive insights on upcoming episodes and your chance to submit questions to future guests. But shh, don't tell anyone, it's our secret. For more info on ways to work with me and some fun free resources, check out the website themischiefmovementcom. Until next time, stay bold, stay rebellious and, of course, keep making mischief you.