Sticker Dilemma

When I was young, I used to hoard unpeeled stickers in my desk drawer. To me, a cool sticker felt like a massive responsibility. I could only use it once, so if I put it on my lunch bag, what would happen if I got a new one? If I put it on my notebook, what would happen when the semester ended? The fear of wasting it by putting it on the "wrong" thing was so overwhelming that I ended up not using them at all.

As I get older, I realize that this kind of mindset (while not applied to stickers anymore, I actually recently put a bunch on my laptop!) transfers onto other things. For me, this translated into hoarding ideas and refusing to build while waiting for the "right time," or finding excuses to avoid doing certain things altogether. I think it is important to recognize this when it happens and attempt to fix it. Whether that means taking control and developing higher agency, or finding an alternative solution, it is always better to act sooner rather than later.

Finally putting a sticker onto a laptop is permanent and pretty messy. You might realize afterward that you placed it crooked, or that there is an air bubble trapped underneath it. I've realized that some mistakes are natural, and that the best way to move forward is to just start doing. You can't figure out how to smooth out an air bubble from a sticker if it is still sitting in your desk drawer; you have to take the steps to peel it and use it.

Oftentimes I find myself thinking that I've wasted time and effort when I do something that doesn't go 100% my way, but my ability to do things is limitless. I've learned so much more from doing than just sitting and waiting for a perfect time that might never come, whether it involves working on personal goals like physical activity or career-related goals like building projects.

Doing the thing is the only way to build momentum (and doing it publicly also increases your surface area for luck).