Just Do It, Just Put Yourself Out There

Okay, so I am being cheesy and taking the Nike slogan. Here's why. I am finding that by putting myself out there things are so much better than I anticipate. I struggle with anxiety. I am terrified to talk to people I don't know, especially in a group setting. I wanted to cry at the first Oklahoma Women in Tech meeting I went to because I was so freaked out, but I left feeling empowered. I hid in the back corner of the room at the first tech conference I went to at Little Rock Tech Fest 2015. I recently went to my third tech conference, the 200 OK Web Developers Conference, and it was amazing. I met some incredible people who were all very welcoming and patient with my lack of knowledge, but encouraging me that I know more than I believe I do. The first coding class I went to I was excited and scared, but I realized things aren't as difficult and scary as they seem to be in my head. Online groups I have joined have been very supportive as well. No one has told me I can't do this which is what I am so terrified of hearing.

So, I want to challenge you to put yourself out there. Go find a coding class to take, a local meetup to attend, a Facebook group to join, a conference to attend.

If you are not sure how to go about finding these resources, check out Women Who Code for conferences, search Google or Facebook, and check out Meetup.com.

Just do it, just put yourself out there!

Done Is Better Than Perfect

Last week I finished reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg at the suggestion of a colleague. One statement Sandberg makes in the book has really stuck with me, "Done is better than perfect."

I know many people, myself included, who are perfectionists which leads to procrastination. I suspect we worry about what others will think of us if we do not produce perfect results. We waste time on things that are not really important when we should be attacking the issues that we have the most problems with and get our products out there.

I have been binge listening to the CodeNewbie podcast and in one episode the guest quoted Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn: "If you're not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you've launched too late." This made me realize it is better to get websites published and have under construction pages for things that are still in the works, than to have nothing published at all. No one will know what you are capable of if you have nothing to show them.

I have been challenging myself lately to get stuff published and last night it paid off. I received a text from a referral asking if I make websites and logos and I was able to say, "Yes! Here is some of my work." Are the sites completely done? No; however, they are complete enough that the person was happy with what he saw and offered me work.

So challenge yourself to stop procrastinating, do something, and put it out there.