The irony of finding in my inbox, three years old and still unfinished, the embryo of a blog post about “just get on with it”…

So, in the spirit of those notes, which suggested that the time to begin is now, and that good is better than perfect, here it is.

Good enough, I think…

“I think it’s important to force change on yourself sometimes and to impose constraints on yourself. If you have a totally blank page and the opportunity to do absolutely anything, then chances are you will actually do nothing. There’s too much to choose from. Better then to make some limits, impose a time frame, and get going.

For example, if I gave you any amount of time to hatch any sort of adventure on any budget you fancy, then you will do nothing. I guarantee it. Whereas if I gave you £1000, a bicycle, and two months to get to Istanbul then you could have a wonderful adventure. And if I told you that you were leaving in seven days’ time then you could most certainly make it happen.

Similarly, if you sit around scratching your head and waiting for a genius Escape idea to strike, then you may wait a long time. But if you think of three things that are important to you and three things that the world does not already offer to people who value those things, then you have the skeleton of a plan straight away. Give yourself six months to flesh out your idea (being prepared for those plans to pivot and evolve) and save up cash. Then quit your job and launch into it! Worst thing that can happen? Sharks? Raw boils on your arse? Or the plan fails and you go back to normal life until you come up with a new idea.”