Why I Need to Get Out of My Own Way
I met Jo in New York. We were both interns, broke, and just trying to keep up with a city that is always on. We lived together and had fun with our intern wages.
We have built a friendship through life changes and my deeply ingrained habit of overthinking.
Because here’s the thing about Jo: she does things.
She has an idea. She decides it’s a good idea. And then she acts on it. Just like that. No prolonged analysis, no endless tinkering, no waiting until it’s perfect. Just action. And I know, written down like that, it seems so simple.
But it’s not.
That’s the bit I struggle with.
I have ideas all the time. Thoughts, perspectives, angles I want to explore, things I want to put out into the world. But the space between the idea and the action? That’s where I get stuck. That’s where the second-guessing kicks in. Where the procrastination lurks. Where I suddenly find myself reorganising my wardobe instead of doing the actual work.
And yet, here I am, dragging myself out of bed at ridiculous o’clock to write this blog. Because I want to be someone who does the thing, not just thinks about it. And because Jo would do the thing.
We’ve become accountability buddies, though I’m fairly certain she’s pulling most of the weight in this partnership. She admitted over wine yesterday that she hasn’t had time to read my blog, so I texted her this morning to say I was writing a blog about her.Ha!
But honestly, Jo is more than an accountability partner; she’s a blueprint for how I want to approach creativity. She moves forward. She experiments. She publishes. And the more I watch her, the more I realise that waiting until something is perfect before putting it out into the world is just another way of hiding. Because the truth is, I’ve seen Jo’s consistently put her work out there, and I’ve also seen how, by doing that, she’s only gotten better and better.
And it makes me think, why shouldn’t I do the same?
Jo and I wouldn’t have crossed paths if we hadn’t met in New York. I believe that completely. We had no reason to, no common circles, no thread tying us together. But New York threw us into each other’s world, and what started as two interns just trying to get by in New York has turned into this rare, very important friendship. One that challenges me. Sharpens me, and makes me feel braver about my own creativity.
So, Jo since I know you’re reading this now here’s what you’ve taught me, and what I’m trying to remind myself every day:
The best way to get better at something is to do it.
Waiting for perfection is just fear in disguise.
You must put the work into the world before you feel ready.
Most importantly, find people who push you forward and remind you that action is the only way to cross the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Just wanted to put it down and make it official here on Beyoncé’s internet.
You inspire me loads, even if you are miles ahead of me in this whole ‘just do it’ thing.
But hey, it’s still early in the year.
I’ll catch up.
