All of us have, at least once in our lives (if not more), somehow felt stuck and unable to make the next move. There can be any number of reasons for this: out of fear, being overwhelmed by a situation, or simply (as often is by me) being stubborn. Regardless of why, it is difficult to take the next steps, to change our approach – or simply «try to jump» as it may be.
This is my absolute favorite cartoon (from Calvin and Hobbes). It is so simple yet says so much.
What I find the most interesting is that we are born to be explorers and try new things. However, for many of us, over time, this hesitation creeps in as we get older. You may wonder what I mean by “We are born explorers,” so let me explain: As children, there is no box in our mind within which we naturally move. The world is our oyster, so to speak, and there for us to discover. We dare to explore, try, fail, and try again. This is how we learn to roll onto our stomachs, sit, crawl, and take our first steps (just to name a few).
As we grow up, many of us start to lose this ability. In most cases, it is through no fault of our own but rather through constraints set for us through systems and society. As a result, we start to see the impossibilities first instead of the possibilities, and with time, we are “afraid to jump” or hesitate to make the next move.
So how can we relearn this ability to weigh the risks, decide when to try something new, and see what happens? It is not easy. We have to learn how to get out of our way. To find that sweet spot between overthinking something and knowing when to start and trust that one way or another, it will work out. That is not to say you should “jump” without thinking, but simply knowing the moment has come and it is “safe enough to try.”
At amplilabs, one of our favorite mottos is Just f*#%*g Do it! If you have thought about your next move and there are no significant risks, then the worst that can happen is, should you fail, you learn from the experience. So, if there is something that you have been toying around for a while in your head and are not sure what to do, figure out a small step that you can do to get unstuck and Just f*#%*g do it! and live to tell what is probably going to be an amazing story. And if you need a bit of encouragement, call us… take us out for a cup of coffee, and we will help you make that first move.