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So you have an idea? What to do next? Well you think about everything that can go wrong. You worry about how it will affect everyone…yourself included. You do research…maybe read a few books. But ultimately you do nothing because you can’t decide whether it’s the right thing to do.
You know what I mean? You analyze and think so much and eventually do NOTHING!
It’s the wrong time, you’re broke, what if people don’t like me! Good lord we drive ourselves nuts worrying about what might happen instead of actually DOING something. Most of the things we worry about never happen.
All this spinning around actually gives us the illusion that we are getting somewhere. I do it. So do other people I know. It’s a lie. So what’s stopping us?
Fear.
Fear of failure. Fear of success. Who knows, it’s different for everyone.
So what would happen if we took the risk? Just went for it? Well, if we failed we would end up back where we started but at least we took a leap. Not doing it well; we’d still be in the same place. But only then we’d be wondering what would happen if we had. We might even still keep doing “research”.
Just stop. Failure doesn’t kill you. It might feel soul crushing at times but ultimately it’s a growth experience.
Take a risk. Start with something small and build to the stuff outside your comfort zone.
Start today.
If not now, when?
You do NOT have to have everything figured out in order to succeed in business. You just have to know what the next question is, and who to ask. – Pamela Slim
That quote applies to life as a whole in my opinion. We don’t have to have all the answers to be happy and fulfilled.
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This year The United States of America celebrates it’s 235th birthday. Some report it is the biggest birthday celebration in the world. Who is one supposed to ask to verify that anyway…. :)
You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck
Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
Freedom is never free. ~ Author Unknown
Have fun with your family and friends on this Independence Day. But let’s not forget countries where freedom is limited or our brothers and sisters who serve their country and aren’t home to celebrate with their loved ones.
Namaste.
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June is National Women in Science and Technology Month. Who knew right?! But there are still few women entering the ranks of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
For the last few years Fast Company has published a list of the most influential women in technology. If you missed it check it out here. So it’s not like women aren’t doing great things it’s just that few women choose to walk the road in these areas for a variety of reasons.
A presentation in 2010 called Why So Few? from the American Association of University Women noted that
Girls’ achievements and interests in math and science are shaped by the environment around them
Bias, often unconscious, limits women’s progress in scientific and engineering fields.
I know I certainly got ignored as an undergraduate when I was a Computer Science major. I was the only female in a class of 15. I eventually switched to the Business school to study Management Informations Systems. There were still more men than women but the professors didn’t act like you didn’t exist there.
It’s interesting to note that:
Women in “male” jobs are viewed as less competent than their male peers.
When women are clearly competent, they are often considered less “likable.” – Why So Few?
How obnoxious is that?! We need to fix this. We as women need to let our children, our sisters…any female we can influence that being smart and studying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics is fun and exciting. And we need to let our little boys and men know that smart women aren’t less feminine or likable because they work in traditionally male jobs.
I like knowing how things work. Always have. I would have been bored out of my mind in a more “traditional” job. I get to play all day with technology. I get to shape experiences online that people actually want to use. Who doesn’t like that! Science, Math, Engineering and Technology all require creativity and a sense of wonder.
Frankly, anyone who says programming isn’t creative doesn’t know any great programmers.
I truly love the beauty of coding, it is the ultimate puzzle, moving from specs to beta code, the thrill of cleaning up buggy code all make me inordinately happy. Having worked in small companies where my coding skills have been stretched to include Systems Administrator duties I have to say give me code please. – AW
Someone I know sums it up quite well:
I often joke that working in design and technology is a little bit like adult play land. I got into it, because it is always changing so it allows me to continue learning and exploring the world with curiosity and wonder. Also, it is wonderful to realize that working with other smart people, design and technology that we can help empower others to accomplish their goals.
- Anonymous
The best part of being a girl geek is getting to play all day. Work isn’t a chore. Sure people can sometimes be annoying but that goes with any career. Being perceived as a geek in high school certainly isn’t easy but frankly that rubbish goes away as an adult. Geeks rule the world and make all the dough. ;)
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