Darling vs. Done…

I tend to overthink business ideas. One minute I’m like, “This is the BEST idea I’ve EVER thought of!” And then later I think, “Omg, no one would buy THAT. What was I THINKING??”

Then I see that someone has started an inane fancy ice pop subscription service and I still haven’t kicked off anything. It kinda makes me laugh how fierce my inner critic can be. S/he doesn’t want me to fail, but that’s exactly what I need to be willing to do.

I came up with an idea a while back of what I call “suckceeding,” in other words, failing your way to success. I’ve failed many, many times in the past. I used to get an idea and just run with it.

Did you know I used to ship Western shirts in bulk and other trinkets of Americana to Australia to make money? Or that in the beginning days of eBay I would buy stuff — like weird vintage photos — cheap at the flea market and flip them? Or that in the early 1990s, I made hippie-style Fimo clay beads and sold them to the tourist shops on Main Street in the place where I grew up? I’ve bought storage units and run estate sales before they started TV shows about them.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m in my forties or what but I feel less willing to run with an idea now (and I think my ideas are bigger/better now), i.e. I’m less willing to fail. Yet, if I want to be suckcessful again (and I do), I need to be willing to fail… and, well, I’m getting there, slowly but surely.

I was talking to a new friend recently about perfectionism and how it can really impede getting anything accomplished. He said, “It doesn’t need to be precious.” Later, as I was sharing the thought with another friend, a phrase popped into my head and I said, “It doesn’t need to be darling, it just needs to be done.” Voila. That’s it.

Readers, I’d like you to be my witness on this: I will get’er done, even if it means failing.

— Rusty Blazenhoff

P.S. I would love to hear YOUR stories. Have you ever started a business and failed? Have you ever started one and succeeded/suckceeded? Or maybe you just want to cheer me on. I could use that. You know where to find me.