Have you seen the first episode of Friends? I rewatched it on a lazy duvet day last week, and I have to say: it’s rubbish.
Well, not rubbish. It’s still way better than anything I could ever make. It’s just nowhere near as good as the episodes in Series 2-10. The lighting isn’t right, Chandler’s jokes feel a bit forced, and Joey’s got a funny haircut.
But thank the Lord that Episode 1 still got commissioned. Because if we hadn’t had the pilot, we wouldn’t have had episodes 2-236. And if we hadn’t had those, we’d be much poorer for it.
If you’re like me, it’s easy to get stuck making Episode 1 in your own life. We strive for “perfection,” obsess over perceived blemishes and we don’t give ourselves the grace to fail and learn. What a shame! If only we had the bravery to make Episode 1.
So that’s my manifesto for 2024: just start. Don’t worry about how “perfect” it is. Just give it a go. You never know where it might take you!
Happy 2024 :-)
just start!