Perfection, The Unknown, and Taking The First Step (along with a Great Giveaway!)

Perfection, The Unknown, and Taking The First Step (along with a Great Giveaway!) #371 by Things We Forget This post is from Jake, aka The Beer Tool Man.  After being virtually introduced to him and seeing that hes a new Etsy shop owner and being knocked out by his shop announcement (seriously its killer), I asked if hed want to share anything with you kids on this here blog. Thankfully, he obliged twofold: with a post and a giveaway! I didn’t want to start typing this because I could not think of the perfect opening line or even a subject to talk type about, but I knew that if I could just start then the rest would work itself out… When typing this (like most things in life) the hardest part is taking that first step and that’s true no matter what you have dreams of doing. I’m lucky enough to be able to help people through this everyday as an admissions officer for a university. When I’m talking with students for the first time they’re anxious about the future, getting into school, how to afford it, classes to take, etc  but it’s amazing how better they feel when I point out that they have already taken the hardest step by asking  for information. It’s all downhill from there.  I want us to dig a little deeper into why taking that initial leap is so hard in the first place. I’ve broken it down into two things: “Unknown” and “Perfect.” First, as humans we hate admitting that we don’t know something, overall it makes us uncomfortable. You think I’m wrong? Just ask a husband to pull over to ask for directions (if people still get lost anymore thanks to GPS). We want to know everything, the unknown is uncomfortable and it’s that simple. The best part is that this is easy to overcome because all you have to do is try. Take baby steps, start doing one thing a day that makes you get out of your comfort zone. Within a week you’ll be addicted, you’ll look forward to new and exciting things instead of being anxious about the unknown. Your life will be better, 100% guaranteed. Next is the dreaded word “Perfect.” I’ve started to try to eliminate that word from my vocabulary and you should too. Face it, there is no such thing a “perfect” and you should never ever try to obtain it. I found a quote recently that I’ve come to live by which states “Done is better than perfect.” When I read this it hit me square in between the eyes.  I’ve always taken pride in the details, but this quote helped me see that trying to make (insert your passion here) perfect was keeping me from doing anything! My new motto these days is currently “Screw it, let’s get started and see where it goes” which is working great. Using this “anti- unknown” and “anti-perfect” thinking I’ve recently started my own company selling “Beer Tools” which are freaking wrench shaped bottle openers?!? Where the heck did that come from? I got the idea one night and instead of stopping myself by trying to design the “perfect” opener I stepped out into the shop and made it. I took the first step and then another and another then before long I had a cool product. I did not let the details slow me down. After some market research (A.K.A. showing off while drinking beers with friends) I found out that people liked the Tools so I opened an Etsy shop within 24 hours. Once the product was on the virtual shelves the marketing and branding quickly followed. Another bonus of the “anti-perfect” thinking is that you will always keep improving; nothing is perfect so you know that it can always get better. That’s what’s helping me and my shop get better every single day. The Beer Tool in action Now that I’ve rambled on for 569 words it’s your turn. I challenge you to do ONE thing a day outside your norm. I’m not telling you to go skydiving (which I’ve done and it’s awesome), but I am telling you to get out there and experience the new. Embrace it. Second, take that first step. Have you always wanted to become a Spanish tutor (my wife) or a life coach (Michelle) or _________? If you’ve wanted to do anything ever, start now!!! Take that step and become the person that you’ve always wanted to be, it’s all downhill from there. Cheers, Jake C. P.S. â€" If you’ve read my nonsense and put it into action I would love to hear from you. Drop me an email at Jake@TheBeerTool.com and let me know how it goes. P.P.S. Wanna win the Beer Tool pictured above? Comment below with your thoughts on my post and/or who youd give The Beer Tool to before 11:59p on Monday 2/6. Michellell pick the winner via Random.org and will announce it here on Tue the 7th. That means The Beer Tool will get to you by Valentines Day! The winner of The Beer Tool is Darlene! Ill be emailing ya soon with the deets. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! Jacob Crawley is in his late twenties and calls himself “a guy with a PR degree, too much time on his hands, and a deep desire to make/tinker/create and share his ideas.” He’s lucky enough to be living in historic Savannah, GA with his “overly supportive” wife Kristen and his sidekick Roxie (their Lab/Basset hound mix).