Gumroad SPL Day 0 – Conquering Anxiety

I’ve taken part in the ‘Gumroad Small Product Lab‘. In this competition, I’ve to produce and ship one small product in just 10 days. Hard? Yes. Incredibly. Possible? Most definitely.

So what is the one thing that has held me back from launching a product? It’s anxiety.

Anxiety is that little lump in the throat that follows the initial excitement of getting an awesome product idea. This little monster tiptoes to that creative section of your brain and brings along its best friend – self-doubt. These two then proceed to jam up our brain’s creative mechanism, stalling the entire production pipeline! They don’t stop there! Their next target is the ‘self-confidence’ department. The result? You are transformed, miraculously, into a whining little sissy drowning in self-pity. Congratulations, Anxiety, you have won!

There is no escape from this monster. Whether you’re a pro or a rookie, if you have to perform, this monster is the first thing you have to face. Imagine how anxious Steve Jobs would have been minutes before presenting the first iPhone to the world!

How do we slay this monster? How do we execute our idea instead of killing our dream? Here are some tips that should help.

1. Action
Got an idea? Start your work. Act, act, act! Make a plan. Divide this plan into small goals, all the way down to hourly goals! Done? It’s time to sprint. Go for it. Start smashing these goals one by one. This will give you a sense of direction and most importantly, a sense of achievement. You will get addicted to the finish line of your every goal.

Action kills fear and anxiety. Get going and face the challenge head on. After a little while it won’t feel that bad. Don’t believe me? Take a cold shower on a chilly night. I dare you!

2. Well hello there, Mr. Mo!
Motivation? Nope. It’s momentum. Motivation comes and goes. It’s momentum that you should count on. Momentum will help you storm ahead in the face of difficulties and fear. And you don’t have to do much to build momentum and sustain it. Just a little action. Each time you stall, just take the smallest possible step towards your goal and then again and again. Consistently. Ceaselessly. There! You’re on your way!

Newton taught the world – an object at rest, tends to stay at rest. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Savvy?

Writing an eBook, are you? Write one sentence. Then another. Then another. It’s not hard to write one sentence now, is it? Just get the process going and you will reach the finish line!

3. Facing the flat line
You will get bored. The initial excitement, the sound of trumpets, the drumroll, all will fade away. What you will experience is a flat line. This is where most people quit. Cos it’s not fun anymore. It’s the same thing you have to do over and over and it’s so boring and bloody hell it’s hard to stick to it this way when there is no measurable progress…

Ever seen termites destroying an entire wooden house? How do they do it? They keep nibbling at it! They don’t quit till its done! Heck, a little termite has better chance at achieving big goals than you do. Time for a change in mindset, don’t you think? Stick with the challenge until it’s done!

4. There is no right time. There is not right plan. There is no perfect product. There is no ONE idea that will make you a millionaire. And, Jesus Christ, you don’t have to be perfect! Phew!
There! I said it. Chew on that one for a while. You may succeed. You may fail. But you gotta start where you are.

If you succeed, congratulations. You have found out what works and what people would pay for. Great. Build from there. Improve it in every way possible. Then launch again. Then improve further. Launch again. Repeat.

If you fail, try something different. Even if you fail, it will at least act as a foundation for building something sensational! Get back up. Build. Launch!

5. Thoughts become things, right? Hell, no! Feelings become things!
Are you into the Law of Attraction? If yes, know that this where they got it wrong. Ever tried to visualize something with all your might only to get the opposite results? Ever tried to ask, ask, and ask, never receiving anything? That’s cos thoughts don’t become things. Thoughts control how you feel. It’s these feelings that attract stuff to you on the physical plane!

Here’s the manifestation crash course. Stop complaining. Period. Practice gratitude. Every day. Be happy with what you have right now! Take action on your goals. Even if you have not succeeded yet, these steps will help you feel successful and happy. The more you stick to this happy feeling, the more reasons you will get to feel even happier! Success? Money? Yep. Loads of it!

6. You can’t control the outcome. What’s worse, if you’re obsessed with the end result, you will never realize your dreams!
There are things we can do to achieve our goals and dreams and then there are things that we just have to let go. The point is simple, do what you can do. Just be sincere. It’s like proposing your love to a woman. All you can do is sincerely convey your feelings to her in the most beautiful way you can. Whether she reciprocates or not is not in your hands!

So why worry about the outcome? Wanna know a secret? When you’re not obsessed with the outcome and instead focus on just giving your best shot, that’s when you get the things you are longing for! Do your very best. The end result is none of your business!

Ready to build your next great thing? Choose an idea you know you can do. Then start. Remember, no matter how big or small an idea is, you will be tested thoroughly. Don’t give up. Execute your dream!

So how does Gumroad Small Product Lab fit into all this?

It’s a 10 day challenge. The best part of the challenge is this small time frame. It’s this time frame that will bring out the best in you! You will realize you’re capable of doing far more than you ever thought was possible! Don’t quit. You or your product doesn’t have to be perfect. But it has to come in front of the world!

Leave the stands and get on the field! Don’t hide your gifts from the world. What you create will touch people’s lives. That. Is. Awesome! Someone somewhere is in need of just the product you’re about to create. Complete the challenge. Launch!

The world is waiting.

This is Utkarsh Sevekar, your fellow SPL Participant, signing off!