on starting

Every morning I get an email from Seth Godin. If you aren't familiar with his work, Godin is a writer, educator and marketing genius. His daily emails cover a range of topics and are short and easy to read. I quite often find myself considering something I hadn't thought of previously.

When I heard Godin speak a few years ago he told the audience to "ship the work". He reminded us that when we create and do work that matters and makes a difference in other people's lives it doesn't count if we don't share it. We can't keep tweaking and re-tweaking in an attempt to be perfect. We can't wait for the "right time". 

Don't wait for tomorrow. Ship the work. Start today. 

I was reminded of the idea of "starting today" at my pilates class recently. There was a woman next to me who was brand new to pilates. Over the next hour, I observed that she struggled to balance. Struggled to move her arms the way the instructor was coaching us. Struggled to hold a plank position. At the end of class, she looked defeated and said how hard it was. As I was leaving, I told her that she had done a great job and that it is always hard in the beginning. 

I couldn't help but wonder though if I would see her back in class the following week. 

In that same pilates class, I had a totally different experience. I sought ways to make the class harder by adding extra tension and adopting more challenging positions. You see, I have been doing pilates for over six years now. I had originally started as a way to strengthen my core and back muscles that were perpetually weak. When I first started, I could barely hold a plank position for longer than five seconds. I would shake. I ached all over. I felt like the most uncoordinated human to ever attempt this type of movement. 

After the first week, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue.

But once I started, I kept showing up. Week after week. Gradually, things got better. I found muscles I hadn't activated in a long time. I could feel my strength building. I challenged my mobility and range of motion. Back pain is now a thing of the past as my body knows how to hold me up. Seeing someone new in class the other week offered me the gift of perspective to appreciate just how far I'd come.

“The only choice we have is to begin. And the only place to begin is where we are.

Simply begin. But begin.” 

~ Seth Godin, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work

There is never a right time to start pilates. There is never a right time to share an essay with others. There is never a right time to explore a new business idea. There is never a right time to have a hard conversation with someone you love. 

As Godin says, "the only place to begin is where we are".

If we keep waiting to ship the work we will never have the opportunity to practice, revise and make things better. We will never have the chance to do things that matter to us, to our families and to the people we work with.

Godin started sending his daily emails in 2002. While the content in his messages has evolved over the years once he started he kept going. Now, he sends the note, without fail, every day. He doesn’t wait to ship the work.

So, tell me, what are you going to do today that you have been putting off until the "right" time to start? I'd love to know.

PS - Periodically I share essays and other notes you might like. I would love it if you took a minute to subscribe for more.