Everything is hard? Well, no.

Everything is hard…at first.

I mean think about it.

Calculus is inconceivable. Philosophy sounds like voodoo. Economics is counter-intuitive. And a new language looks like hieroglyphics.

You begin with something new, and you are awful at it. You keep working at it though, and, after long enough, you eventually get better. If you keep going, you can even approach mastery.

Remember that you have to be patient in all of this.

And understand: Time and patience can work like magic.

“It’s a thought process, right? It opens up new possibilities for almost everything. Anything a person might want to become—a great parent, a successful sales executive, a fast reader—everything is within reach. When you think about it, it’s a mind-set based on reality. Why would anyone think they would be great right out of the box? I want to be a great cook. I am not a great cook . . . yet. Therefore, I will live with the confusion and disappointment of ruined meals as I practice until I master the skills and timing I need to be a great cook.” Baker thought for a moment, wanting to understand clearly and form the idea into words he could remember. “It is amazing,” he said finally. “The whole concept of ‘confusion before learning’ means that confusion guards the answers we seek.”

-Andy Andrews, The Noticer Returns

You start accomplishing something by making due where you are.

(It’s “Making Do” though, right? That’s what I get for copying the book quote below. I bet three copy editors missed it too.)

I mean, I hate to break it to you, but it does not matter what pen you use.

Or what notebook. Or what chair.

The thing that is stopping you is not a better app, or a hack that you just haven’t come across yet.

A new computer is not going to change your life.

And don’t rely on that morning yoga routine, and the liter of water you drink afterward, to overcome all of the adversity staring you down.

80 percent of what you need is to just begin.

Don’t let fear paralyze you into doing nothing.

Start. Just start.

I believe there is enormous power in beginning right were you are at today.

We spend a lot of time thinking about how things are supposed to be, or what the rules say we should do. Trying to get it all perfect. We tell ourselves that we’ll get started once the conditions are right, or once we’re sure we can trust this or that. When, really, it’d be better to focus on making due with what we’ve got. On focusing on results instead of pretty methods.

-Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle Is The Way