Go play, and discover your new work

Stop "trying" without actually doing anything

I wrote this for myself in early 2023, before I had any idea that I'd be sharing my work on here. Since then, I've traveled all around a continent that before felt like an overwhelming, foreign place to me. But now it feels like a childhood home that I miss very much.

I'm grateful for my past self for writing these thoughts. Months later, I'm here revisiting these words of encouragement. Have I done what I set out to do, so far?

Porto, Portugal - the first stop on my first trip to Europe, 2023.

Go play and discover.
Wander around your neighborhood, or a new one you've never been to.
Travel to a different city, a different country, a different continent.

Everyone you meet, at home or on the road, ask them what they do.
What are their hobbies? What are their skills?
Be genuinely interested in others. It's the quickest way for people to like you.

Encounter enough new things, go do so much that it becomes clear what sparks your interest.
Allow your curiosity to lead you.
Follow your creative instincts.

Fully engage, soak in that interest, then learn the skills.
What interest?
What skills?
I don't know yet, but I will soon enough.

You might hit a wall, maybe several, maybe a mountain.
You will fight through boredom, tedious learning, resistance, the urge to quit.
Push past this, dude!

And then, without even realizing it, you'll begin to work toward mastery of a craft.
You're now making a thing, and enjoying the process.
Attack your new goals like your life depends on it.

"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation."
This is you if you don't create purposeful and meaningful work for yourself.

Fit your creative-working time into your desired lifestyle.
Or, even better, build your "perfect day" around it.
Your perfect day isn't perfect without the work. Perfect.

What do I want every day to look like?
My ideal morning, afternoon, evening - what do these look like?
Create work that fits into this personalized design.

If you don't do this, you know what will happen.
You'll become stale, like that old bag of Doritos you forgot about.

You're not growing, stuck in the same, sunken situation.
You need a bigger planter pot.
When your roots have more room to stretch, the green parts above the soil will expand in all directions.

But there's one direction that's most attractive.
Its warmth and light is inviting.
You'll lean this way without even realizing it.
When you're growing toward the sunshine, it will feel like sunshine, baby.

What the heck is the sunshine?
Whatever draws you in, and keeps you glued to the work.
You'll be caffeinated, bug-eyed and locked in.
Hours will pass, and it will feel like minutes.

If you feel yourself slipping into a dark hole of self-doubt, ignore that and lean into the good work you're doing.

A strange, backwards law exists:
The more you dwell on what you don't have, the lesser accomplished you feel about your current situation, no matter how much progress you've made.

Straining and stressing about what you lack. Not good.
Instead, focus on taking an action.
Doing is better than thinking.

Confidence is trusting in yourself.
Stop "trying" without actually doing anything.
Start trusting yourself to figure it out along the way.

Become a monster, or a monstera, but not a stale bag of Cool Ranch.

Everything I make is here — loganletsgo.com
buy me a coffee :)