The Ticket To Adventure

One of the greatest filters for succeeding in a significant endeavour presents itself at the very beginning…

Crossing The Doorstep

Every adventure starts with a shock to the system. The body complains, the mind wobbles, and for a moment, I wonder why I didn’t just pick a nice little hobby like table tennis. 

Then I remember, this is exactly what I came for. To take on the adventure, the unknown, to soak in those little moments of beauty in between the suffering.

The trail ahead is long, but the only way is forward. One foot in front of the other.

– Russ Cook 

Cook has run back-to-back ultra marathons across the entire length of Africa – among many other incredible physical feats. 

And every single one of his journeys has started with a single step. 

A determined step in the right direction. The first of many cranks, turning the flywheel. Heavy and difficult at first, until the momentum picks up. 

The initial challenge of taking on any significant endeavour is facing the mental barrier of crossing your ‘doorstep’. Overcoming all of the inertia that resists you taking the first steps. Leaving the familiar behind, and embarking on something new and different.

Still, adventure firmly awaits across that doorstep, and not before it. 

Nothing is going to happen until you start. Until you decide to cross your doorstep, whatever that means to you. Because adventure will rarely fall into your lap, but rather, you have to go and seek it out. 

And that means going from a state of certain rest to a state of uncertainty and unrest.

That doorstep can seem high – maybe due to a fear of failure, a fear of mediocrity, or any other reservations you might have. 

Sometimes, it can feel like an insurmountable, visceral obstacle. Other times, it’s more concealed: a preconceived notion that’s holding you back without you even realising it – until you actually reflect on it. 

It might be a part of your survival instinct kicking in, warning you to not expose yourself to ‘danger’ or to ‘loss’. But that primeval instinct hasn’t quite adapted to the relatively safe and comfortable modern world, and usually over-corrects dramatically. 

There’s always going to be a risk of failure – you can try to minimise it but you’ll have to accept that. And true failure dwells in the act of not even trying, not in failing an attempt. Failing an attempt just means you’ve learned something for the next time.

There may be a risk of embarrassment – but ultimately, who actually really cares? And is it really as bad as you think? We often overestimate how much other people think about us. (Hint: it's pretty rare, people are busy with their own lives).

There is definitely going to be friction.

For Cook, it’s a physical and mental friction. For us in VFX, who make art, there is a creative agitation. You have to be willing to feel uncomfortable – to stay in that vulnerable and frustrating state of uncertainty and unrest – for an unknown amount of time. 

As long as it takes until it ‘clicks’. 

And there’s no guarantee that it will. Especially if you give up too soon. The longer you endure the turmoil, the greater the chances are that something of value will emerge. 

Because there’s usually a reward at the other end of an adventure. And for most people, the doorstep is effectively the only thing keeping that reward out of reach. Not skill. 

You likely already have what it takes to start, and besides, you'll acquire more skills as you progress along the way. 

So, start what you’ve been wanting to start. Do what you’ve been wanting to do. Most likely, it won’t be easy at first, crossing that doorstep. – To decide to go after what you want, and actually taking the steps to do it. Facing discomfort. 

That’s the price of admission. The ticket to adventure. If you can accept the fact that you will have to fork it out and spend that initial effort upfront, it becomes a bit easier, in a sense. 

Try to look at it as an investment, instead: the reward at the end will often be greater than the upfront cost. 

And, when you’re underway, help others cross their doorsteps, too. 

Document Your Journey

Adventures can be captivating. 

Chances are, other people would be interested in your journey, too. At least in the lived and learned experiences that you can share which will benefit them. 

Like in the hero’s journey, your own ‘quests’ end with the Return – the hero comes back from the mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.

In your search for a solution to a problem, what you find can be of tremendous use to others. Especially, if your search is successful – but also even if you don’t find anything – documenting the path you took can be helpful to others undertaking the same search. 

One of my personal quests is an ongoing search for knowledge, specifically related to visual effects and compositing, and I’m documenting my lived and learned experiences here on this website. 

I had published almost 60 articles on the website before I regularly started sharing them on LinkedIn. (Not sure why – I was nervous to publicly share my work on a large platform, I guess? Not for any good reason, anyhow). 

The number of new members who joined the website almost immediately quadrupled. Loads of positive feedback poured in. I don’t know what I was afraid of, because people are generally really nice and supportive. 

– Imagine if I had posted on LinkedIn since day 1 instead of nearly two years in. And what if I had started my website much earlier? (Which I definitely could have). I’d be several years ahead. Then again, I could also imagine it being the other way around, and instead choose to be happy that I started when I did. 

In any case, learn from my mistakes and start documenting and sharing your experiences sooner rather than later. Start now. It’ll benefit everyone, including yourself. 

Because life rewards action. 

Make your mark on the map. Build your personal brand. Write your book. Create your artwork. Whatever it is you want to do, start by crossing your doorstep and earning your ticket to adventure. 

I hope you found this article useful. For more like this, see Advice.