Having doubts is natural, maybe even good

You're taking a big step, maybe spending a lot of money, and definitely spending a lot of time learning web development. You might be taking time away from family. You have to cut back on other expenses to fit this new direction into your budget. You're taking a personal risk, too, because learning something new and trying to become something better always makes you vulnerable.

You have questions, doubts. If you don't yet, they will come.

Is all this worth it? Is it worth the investment? What if you fail and people see that you couldn't cut it? What if you learn it all and don't like the life of a web developer or your job prospects aren't what you thought they'd be? Am I even capable of becoming a web developer?



These are all natural doubts to have. My theory is that if the change you're undertaking isn't scaring you a little, it's probably not going to make a big difference in your life. So the real question is, if you don't have doubts from time to time, are you doing anything worth while?

Doubts can be a sign that you're doing something audacious, that you're stepping out where no one near you has gone before. The people around you may not understand your desire for change, to be someone different, to have a different lifestyle, but those people aren't living your life and won't be sitting in your chair 50 years from now thinking about how you lived your life.

I have a secret. I have doubts on a regular basis. At least once a week I wonder if I should just go get a regular job as a middle manager somewhere, making a salary and putting in my 40 hrs/wk until I can retire. I have doubts about this venture. Right now it's just a blog and writing is easy when it's something you're passionate about. But what happens when it's time to turn this blog into a business? What if the time I put into making this a safe and helpful place for beginning web developers is a waste of time?

What if? What if?

The truth is that if I give in to these doubts now, they'll only be replaced by regrets and dissatisfaction later. I'll regret that I didn't see my dream through to its end. I would never know if New Method could become something great and help lots of people. I'm sure I'd be dissatisfied with the typical 40 hour work week, the commute, the expense reports, the brown bag lunch, the ceiling of earning potential, being away from my family all day, the cap on my potential, always making someone else wealthier while I'm stuck at $X a year.

Doubts are good. They keep you grounded and honest about what's happening. But don't give in. The grass isn't greener in the land of doubtless living.