It is not great fun to see myself stumble through a YouTube video. Falling over on my ass, fluffing words or saying the exact monotonous phrase repeatedly as I try and explain how pleased I am with what I am sharing to the audience.

I have to say this out loud here, It can be very cringe-worthy to edit yourself in a video knowing that it is not your finest moment. Not an easy thing to do, and you do have to turn a blind eye. But I am working on getting over that. I am pushing myself out there because I want to get better. I want to improve at making and editing videos. I know that you have to start somewhere, which is usually at the lower end of the newbie scale for me. But at least I am starting, a lot of people wish-think, not many people start.

My mum and dad would always encourage us to keep working on learning new things. They would always manage our expectations, and my dad would say that it is impossible to get better and look good at the same time. Another one of his classic lines that stick with me to this day.

He is right, of course. 

He was always right until he was wrong. (another one of his classic lines, there was so many.) 

He was talking about my fledgling football skills at the time when he chucked out that dinger, and he would have been trying to pick my positivity up after a defeat. Still, his words stand the test of time.

I am sure there is a much more complex way to position the idea of evolving by using a PowerPoint denoting change curves and some fancy ready-reckoner, but my old dad’s words say it best for me.

Starting out and looking good are not compatible. So be prepared to make a horse’s ass of yourself as you first start out. But be proud of yourself that you have started doing something…

Now don’t stop. Keep going and just close your eyes and live with the fact you will reflect total dumbness at times. Go with it and laugh along because you have nothing to lose as you refine your game.

But know this, know that one day, as you keep going with the struggle, someone will give you the feedback, and you will take it because you deserve it. You will be the one that has persevered. You are the one that put yourself out there, and you are now the one that is looking good.

So when they shout from the sidelines…

‘Looking good there, mate!’

You can think back and say to yourself, ‘Cheers, Dad’.