When you don't know how to proceed, just learn

I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed as of late. I don't know how to make good content, and I'll end up sitting down at my desk staring at my laptop for hours, not doing anything productive.

Then I'll get frustrated and attempt something, but then be faced with anxiety and discomfort, immediately open up my phone and start scrolling Instagram reels or replying to messages.

The unknown is scary and we don't know how to handle it - but I think it is largely due to two reasons:

1. we just haven't started (haven't given ourselves enough time to enter the "zone", the flow state)
2. or we simply don't have enough information

Most of the time it is case 1. But sometimes it is case 2.

For case 2, it's like we're bashing our head on a wall trying to build a house out of dirt, when we could just watch a YouTube tutorial that tells us a bit about structural integrity and how to bind sticks together with twine to build a sturdy support structure.

My point with this is, if you are feeling stuck and you are feeling you are just wasting your time in front of your laptop, feeling stressed and hating yourself for not getting any meaningful work done, then perhaps just take a step back and turn it into an exploratory mission. No expectations, just research said topic. Read articles, watch videos, try out tutorials - whatever you need to do to get familiar with the topic, spark some creative ideas, and build confidence that you can do the thing you have set out to do.

Once you have done that, then consider coming back to conquer case 1 (giving yourself enough time to enter the flow state).

It's like give a child mud and telling him to make art.

You have to have the tools and resources in your hands and smash them around for a little bit until you get a feel for what is possible. Only then can you start building.