How to Start Building Projects Without Waiting for the “Right Moment”
If you have projects you want to build, if you want to create something, just go for it. Why wait? Why keep wondering if it’s the right moment, or if you should or shouldn’t do it? The more you question yourself, the more doubt creeps in, and soon your days start to reflect that doubt. Your daily life becomes a mirror of your hesitation.
Let me share a personal story. I was working on a small program to generate my own YouTube thumbnails. Maybe you enjoy making thumbnails, but for me—and I think for many of us—it’s not the most exciting task. Default thumbnails are ugly, so how do you make good ones? Last night, I had some fun and built a simple program for it. You just select three images, adjust the color, maybe tilt them a bit, and you get a thumbnail that looks much better. It’s nothing fancy, but it makes my life easier. It takes away the complexity of creating thumbnails, which is something most people don’t enjoy because it’s repetitive and boring.
But thumbnails matter. They’re like a book cover—important, but most of us would rather write the book than design the cover. Usually, someone else does the cover for us. Still, having a tool that makes this easier is a game changer for me. I’ve already generated a bunch of thumbnails with it, and it motivates me to keep creating.
Having something that excites you, something that keeps you on the lookout for new things, is important. Otherwise, it’s easy to wake up on a Saturday, feel tired, and just waste time on your computer with nothing planned. If you don’t define your day, how can you expect anything different to happen? If you change nothing, nothing changes. Only a fool expects a different life without changing their daily habits.
Today is your day. Every day is a chance to invest in yourself. Projects like these keep you sharp. The more you create, the more it becomes part of your daily life—a second nature, even a sixth sense. You’ll get so good at something that most people aren’t, and that’s valuable. When you have a rare skill or knowledge, or you can solve problems quickly, you become the “Purple Cow” among all the cows. That’s what you want to build for yourself.
Sometimes, I don’t even sleep because I’m so caught up in building something new. For me, a hotel room isn’t about getting a good night’s sleep—it’s about investing in the environment, the setting. Some people might think it’s strange to stay in a nice hotel and not sleep, but I see it differently. When you’re asleep, you’re not conscious, so what’s the point? Still, a comfortable bed and soft pillows are a real pleasure. Not everyone has that luxury, but it’s a reminder that investing in comfort can make a difference.
Back to the main point: if you wake up with nothing planned, you don’t know what to do, and your day starts off wrong. Even if you want to create things, you might not even think about your goals because you didn’t plan them the night before. I always plan my days the night before. Planning a week or a month ahead is too much for me—my motivation drops quickly, and my interests change fast. If I plan a year ahead, it’s impossible to stick to it because I always have new ideas and projects. Sometimes, you realize something isn’t for you, or it doesn’t make you happy, so why force yourself to do it? Be open to changing your plans if they don’t work out.
Regularity is important too. Some things, like exercise or eating well, don’t change much and can be planned for the long term. But for creative projects, I plan day by day. Of course, some projects last longer. For example, I worked on my open-source CMS, PH7 CMS, for over 12 years. It took years to build and maintain, and I’m still updating it, though not as often as before. There are almost 11,000 commits! It took a lot of effort and perseverance, but I’m proud of it.
If you change nothing, nothing changes. — Anonymous
Every day is a chance to invest in yourself. — Pierre
You become the Purple Cow among all the cows when you master something most people avoid. — Seth Godin (paraphrased)
Key Takeaways
- Stop waiting for the “perfect” moment—just start.
- The more you question yourself, the more you doubt and delay.
- Make creation a daily habit; it becomes your second nature.
- Plan your day the night before to stay focused and motivated.
- Be open to changing your plans if something doesn’t work for you.
- Regularity matters for long-term habits like health, but creative projects thrive on daily planning.
- Building rare skills makes you valuable.
Action Steps
- Tonight, plan one thing you want to create tomorrow.
- Try building a small tool or project that solves a personal annoyance.
- Reflect on what you’re forcing yourself to do—does it really make you happy?
- Identify a skill you can develop that few people have.
Reflection
What’s one project you’ve been putting off because you’re waiting for the “right” time? What’s stopping you from starting today?
Pierre-Henry Soria
#Creativity #Money #Motivation #Project Management #Self-Improvement #Taking-Action #Tasks #Wealth