Not doing it is certainly the best way to not getting it.
Wayne Gretzky
This is a variation on the more famous Gretzky quote that you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take and I like it better because it hasn’t been warn out yet, but it retains its great meaning.
The truth is, you are going to fail more than you’re going to succeed and the ultimate failure is never having the courage to begin or see something through. That is true failure. Unforgivable failure.
You should do it. If its moral and legal, than do it. Don’t worry about how long it will take, or what people are going to this and say. Don’t worry about the cost, just don’t do something silly like gamble or go to debt. Do whatever is necessary to take your shot. Your opponent may be stronger. They may be faster and better, but its better to be knocked on your ass, head not he floor, bleeding out of your nose and mouth, than playing it safe and resigning yourself to be a scared field mouse.
If you’ve never learned to swim as a child, there is no reason not try it as an well aged child. You probably don’t want to give it a go in some weedy lake or shark infested Caribbean ocean, but standing there with all those bratty little kids or perhaps being amongst other tense adults at your local outdoor pool, will not be easier.
But its not supposed to be. The nerves and the sweats are just a part of it. Not knowing where you are going, or if you have the means of getting there, are part of it too. You should welcome all those feelings and thoughts. Thank them and be grateful that they are present. They are an authentic indicator that you’re getting somewhere. When you have little stress in you life and feel very rested and comfortable, that is a sure sign you are nowhere and not getting any traction.
Get to work. Don’t worry how well you do. Don’t worry what others will say. Get to work and let life bring you what your work deserves. If you don’t like it, don’t pout but get at it again and make better work. Repeat and repeat until you get there.
Not doing it is the only unforgivable sin. If you don’t do it, it will never get done.