From the Firepit: Is it really a blocker?

From the Firepit is a series similar to shower thoughts, that follows a pattern of insight → invitation → impact.

I almost didn't write this.

Why? I told myself I needed to know more, research more, validate this idea, and be sure.

That's the trick. That's the blocker.

It wasn't a lack of knowledge. It was doubt disguised as rigor. It felt noble, like integrity, like preparation. But it was just another stall, like telling myself: I need a whiteboard to succeed at this project, or a new pair of shoes to work out.

It was just my brain creating blockers to forego doing something that makes me nervous or seems complicated.

Real blockers are rare. Perceived blockers are everywhere.

Here's what I've noticed:

• When I say, "I need to learn more before I can [write, build, etc]," that's sometimes true. It is essential to recognize where the edges of my knowledge are and when I genuinely don’t know about something.
• More often? I know enough to get started and find those edges. I already have shoes and tools that will work.

Knowledge is only one part of the equation; experience is the other. I haven't seen all the research, and this may not be bulletproof. But it is real, and maybe it will resonate with someone else.

What if we started labeling our blockers with more precision?

• 🔴 True Blocker: You physically can't proceed. You need a missing dependency.
  I want to ride in the MS-150 but don't have a bike. It's a bike ride. A bike is a dependency.
• 🟡 Slowdown: You can proceed, but there's discomfort or uncertainty.
  I own a touring bike, not a road bike. I won't be the fastest biker, but my bike will do the job.
• 🟢 Fear disguised as logic: You're stalling because you're afraid to be wrong, visible, or imperfect.
  I need to be on my computer with a good keyboard to write.
  I can write on my phone, which expands my creative power.

This Week's Example

I almost didn't write this piece because I wasn't sure I knew enough.

But that's the whole point:

This isn't a research paper. This is lived experience.

Someone out there is about to talk themselves out of a breakthrough. They'll call it "not ready." They'll say they "don't know enough." They'll wait.

And they'll never ship the thing that could have changed their life.

🔥 The Firepit Invitation

• What are you stalling on because of fear disguised as knowledge gaps?
• What experience do you already have that's enough to start?
• Can you name the blocker, honestly? Not the excuse — the real shape of it?

You don't have to fake certainty. You just have to move.

The fire is lit. Sit. Come write. Come build. Even if you're not "ready."

Structure is what we build to move forward, even while afraid.