Here are 3 things I’ve learned from Starting Something New.

1. Taking Action.  

Starting out, I received very credible advice to “only post when you have something great to say.” Don’t put anything out there unless it’s your best.” 

Made sense.

What if my first couple of posts are no good and people tune out?

I should write fewer posts and make them really impressive, I thought. 

But can you imagine saying to your kid, “Don’t swing unless you’re going to hit a home run?” 

More at-bats lead to better hitting. Quantity precedes quality.

Starting something new teaches us that success is fundamentally based on our actions.

2. Looking Back.

“What would I even write about”, I thought? There’s nothing special about my experience.

Ironically though, my experience is the only thing someone can’t search on the internet. In truth, it might be the only unique thing I have to offer. 

The same is true for you. Your experience gives you a perspective no one else has. Not just the victories. The failures are juicy too. 

“Success comes from good judgment. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.”

Tony Robbins

Your experience is the only thing your boss can’t replace. It’s the only thing your customer can’t buy from a competitor.

• When you cold-called that new customer, did you pull from your fundraising experience?
• When you gave that presentation, did your time on the student council give you confidence?
• When you had a difficult conversation with an underperforming team member, did you talk about the time you also felt lost in your career to breakthrough and connect?

Starting something new gives us the opportunity to look back and see how far we’ve come. 

3. Helping Others.

I received feedback recently from a friend in HR that she used my Why You Want To Hire Your Replacement post to breakthrough to an up-and-comer she was coaching. 

In our culture, we associate bigger with better. For something to have value, it has to sell to hundreds of customers, change thousands of lives, or reach millions of readers. 

But is that true? 

• What if you wrote one blog post that inspired a single parent to ask for a raise?
• What if you mentored one college student that wants to have a career like yours?
• What if you met one job searcher for coffee?

You don’t have to sell out arenas to make a difference. You don’t even have to give up your weekend volunteering. Something can be small to you, and still have big value to someone else. And eventually, we’re all someone else.

Starting something new shows us the ripple effect our daily actions have in the World. 

What I’ve Really Learned.

We think we know ourselves. But there’s so much more for us yet to uncover.  Starting something new reveals a new dimension of us…to us.

Is there someone, I mean something, new you’ve been meaning to start?