Something I’ve learnt the hard way. Start before you’re ready.

Waiting until you feel “ready” is often just a clever way of never beginning.

I’ve done this for years. I’d come up with an idea, play with it, read a book or two, watch YouTube videos or listen to some podcasts to  give me ideas or learn the steps but then stall.

Because it wasn’t quite right. It didn’t have all the polish, the bells and whistles. So I’d wait.

And tweak. And wait some more. But “ready” never came. And neither did the launch.

Here’s what I’ve learnt—there’s no such thing as perfect. And “ready” isn’t a moment, it’s momentum.

You get there by starting. You make it better by doing. Progress doesn’t come from planning. It comes from movement.

The first step is ugly. Take it anyway.

Easier said than done. But life isn’t meant to be easy. It’s in the challenge that we grow and find meaning. And ultimately, happiness.

The other excuse is that I’m “too busy.”
I don’t have the time. I get distracted. By work, by life, by whatever feels more urgent in the moment.

That’s the story I tell myself.
But the truth is—I could make time.

I am getting better at this.

I’m working on a photo book. Two, actually.
One is a collection of film photos I’ve taken of my son over the years.

It’s almost finished—or so I keep telling myself. But I’ve put it on hold.

The second will be a series of travel photos, also on film, shot entirely on my Hasselblad.
And no, I haven’t started that one yet.

I made the call — I said yes to shooting my friend’s wedding next year. Right now, I’m feeling a mix of excitement and fear. But my mantra these days is simple: do it scared anyway.

I’ve been living by that for the past couple of years — feeling the fear, dreading the thing… and doing it anyway. And guess what? I’m still here. I’ve gained confidence, learnt a lot, and proven to myself that I can take on bigger challenges that stretch me in ways I didn’t think I could.

Because here’s the thing: the fear we feel, the discomfort we avoid — that’s exactly where the real learning and growth happens. Sounds cheesy as I write it.  But it’s true.

How about that?

What I’m reading: The Coaching Habit - Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier. I’m loving this one. It’s practical, straight-talking, and exactly what I need. Asking the right questions is where I often get stuck when facilitating — and this book is adding to my communication and facilitation toolkit. So simple yet so powerful.

It’s not just for leaders either. It’s for anyone who’s serious about having better, more meaningful conversations.

I’m also reading 2 other books simultaneously:

• The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
  
• The 2-hour Workshop Blueprint by Leanne Hughes

I’ve also recently finished reading:

• The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef
  
• The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett
  
• Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan

What I’m listening to: I listen to a lot of podcasts these days. These are my go to:

• The 7am Podcast by Schwartz Media
  
• All in the Mind hosted by Sana Qadar
  
• Re:Thinking by Adam Grant
• Full Story by The Guardian

And occasionally:

• People I Mostly Admire by Steven Levitt
• Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson
• Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast
• Uncomfortable Conversations by Josh Zseps
• DOAC: The Diary of a CEO by Stephen Bartlett

Well… that didn’t work. It’s been a few months since I promised myself I’d keep writing, and here we are. No excuse.

Actually, scratch that—I do have excuses. Here they are:

• Reading
• Gardening and weekend chores
• Walking
• Going to the gym
• Travelling(I’ve been to three countries since I last logged on here!)

But let’s be honest—none of these are real excuses. I could write in between these things. Maybe not while lifting weights or pulling weeds, but definitely on a long-haul flight. Even on walks, I often jot down ideas or quotes in Apple Notes while listening to podcasts. Sometimes I do the same at the gym. I’m more of a podcast person than a music person anyway—unless I’m at home, chilling with a book. So yes… time to stop pretending I’m too busy.

Did I mention we got a cat? Her name is Sophie. She’s 6 years old now I think. We got her just before the COVID lockdowns in Melbourne back in March 2020. She’s a rescue cat. Gosh, that feels like a lifetime ago! For a long time, she only knew us because we were in lockdown for months. When the doorbell rang, it freaked her out, and she found it puzzling (and scary) that other humans existed. She’s better now, but she still occasionally acts like a “scaredy-cat” when a large group of people visits the house. I was never a “cat person.” But now, I’ve strangely fallen in love with cats, cat memes, and all the quirky and funny things they do on the internet. I used to think I was allergic to cats. I am allergic to grass and pollen and prepare myself for Spring with a bunch of antihistamines, nasal sprays, and eye drops. I assumed I’d be allergic to cats because of their hair. But after having Sophie, I found out I’m not. That was just my bias against cats.

I haven’t photographed a wedding in ages, but a good friend recently asked me to shoot hers next year. Of course I’d love to capture her wedding day—it felt like a natural thing to say yes. I couldn’t turn it down—I’ve already photographed both of her sisters’ weddings, so it feels like part of the tradition now.

I feel a bit out of practice. The camera settings and the rhythm of shooting a wedding don’t feel second nature anymore—but I know it’ll come back. The muscle memory just needs a little nudge.

What I do remember clearly is how much energy weddings demand. You’re on your feet all day, constantly anticipating moments, reading the room, and wrangling people into position.

It’s joyful, but also exhausting. 

After 15 years of doing this, I think I still have a good feel for how weddings flow—it’s just been a while. Now I’m also weighing up whether to take on another friend’s wedding around the same time. I haven’t said yes or no yet. There’s a strong internal resistance to making that call… and I’m still figuring out why.

Well, for one, I’ve got a full-time job—and realistically, I don’t have the capacity to take on another. Wedding photography isn’t just about showing up on the day (and this one is actually a 3-day event!). There’s the prep work beforehand, and then the post-work—hours of editing, organising, and delivering.

That said, I’m thinking of exploring some of the newer AI-supported editing tools. Impossible Things has caught my eye, and I’m curious to see how it could help lighten the load. I am not a fan of photo editing. But since I’ve been out of the game for a few years, there’s a learning curve… and that adds its own mental weight. All of that needs to be factored in.

And let’s be real—I’m not getting any younger. Sure, I hit the gym and keep fit, but a full wedding day is physically demanding. I get tired just thinking about it!

Ok, time to make that call. Here goes.

Here I am, stuck in my usual overthinking loop, scrutinising every word until it feels just right. Writing isn’t my strong suit. But I’m giving it a shot anyway. I have an overthinking habit that not only slows me down but turns simple tasks into complex ones.

I’m usually being good with time management but I can still feel overwhelmed by deadlines and tasks.

No matter how hard I try to prioritise and stay organised, there’s always a lot going on in my head that can leave me feeling stuck. I’m working on it.

My husband gifted me a planner from Creator’s Friend - specifically the Fast Brain Friend Productivity Planner. All 12 notebooks. One for each month. I’ve just started using it and I think it’s a game-changer. I’ll let you know how I go.

Speaking of challenges, I’m bringing back my Monday Starter blog series. It’s wild to think I’m already at number 78! Will I hit 100 by the end of 2025?

Forget wondering—I’ll make it happen.

It’s been forever since the last one—Monday Starter #77 was back in 2021!

Tokyo, 2022

I’m not sure if anyone’s tuning in, but that’s cool. This is my space, my personal journal, and it’s always been that way.

There are three big reasons why I’m pushing myself to keep this photo blog—which I call a “journal”, up and running:

• I love taking photos and want a place to showcase them.
• I’ve invested years into this website, probably close to a decade. It’s filled with posts and images, and letting go now would mean abandoning a huge part of my creative journey.
• I need to maximise this platform by consistently writing and blogging.

What I’m watching: Constellation on Apple TV+. 

Figuring out what’s really going on with these intriguing characters and what they’re all going through offers more questions than answers and can be frustrating to watch. But  you’re right there with them (painfully) discovering and trying to make sense of the mystery themselves.

A quote I’m pondering on: “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” - Margaret Wheatley