The “First Time” Matters the Most

Most of us who want to do something on the side or full-time feel stuck.

We blame this on all sorts of things, such as weather, bad luck, or social media.

Well, social media is the easiest way out.

Isn’t it?

When we strive for productivity, we overlook that productivity has variables on the other side of the equation, for example, mindset, interest, and proficiency, to name a few.

The reason why “first attempt” is the key is that it shifts your mind from “haven’t done this before” to “have done it.”

It doesn’t matter whether or not you do the job entirely right.

When you set out on a journey of attempting something new, you’ve already won.

You’ve beaten the older version of yourself who didn’t take action.

When you do something new for the first time, that’s the only way to get to the second and third time. And, that’s how things start to roll.

It does seem bookish, but the fact is that anyone who ever achieved something across different fields took their first step and never looked back.

Brian Tracy is a best-selling author. In his book “Eat that Frog,” he emphasized doing the most important thing that you have been postponing for a while. It’s a fantastic read from a productivity standpoint.

Don’t be so hard on yourself and choose one of these things:

• Publish your first blog post
• Write your first line of code
• Design your first logo
• Develop your first software
• Go to your first conference
• Talk to a stranger first time
• Ask your first question at a workshop
• Speak in public for the first time

A Story About the “First Time”

In 2018, I was invited to speak at a freelancing conference. I immediately said, yes.

I took a flight and went there.

While sitting in the front row and waiting for my turn, my legs were shivering because public speaking was outside my comfort zone.

So 10 minutes before my turn, I decided to give myself a little pep talk.

I gave myself two options:

1. Give up, say sorry to the organizers, and tell them you can’t do this.

2. Go up there on the stage, be authentic, and share what you learned so far.

So I chose option #2.

I went up there and gave a 10 minutes talk.

I answered a few questions at the end, and it went better than I expected.

I realized right after the event that I’d give a better talk the next time I’d go up on the stage.

Had I not traveled to another city to go through that experience, I wouldn’t have been able to realize that my second public speaking gig would be a lot better.

This is why the “first time” matters the most.

Your Thoughts?

Have you ever felt stuck at some point just because you haven’t done it before?

I’m curious to know what you think about this “first-time matters” thing.

Let’s meet in the comments section.

Hassaan Khan is a blogger, self-published author, and freelance writer. He has published articles on SEMrush, Thrive Global, BloggingCage, All Blogging Tips, BlogPress, Blogging From Paradise, Visme, BeingGuru, Savvy Blogging Tips, and more. Check out his books or hire him for content writing.