Regrets I'm kinda tired of
A retrospective of mistakes and (finally) a leap of faith
Hey y’all, it’s KimBoo! I’m an author and a podcaster who is also a librarian, text technology historian, and former I.T. project manager. I write about a lot of interesting things, I hope you agree! Please consider supporting me (and my dog!) so I can keep throwing errata & etcetera into the Scriptorium!
1992:
Me: Oh, this desktop publishing thing is gonna be huge! I should spend the $$ to buy the software and learn it, get into graphic design and layout!
Them: Oh no! Graphic design takes years of formal education! And that software is just gonna be used by amateurs, it’s a waste of time.
My friend who did it anyway: *started his own graphic design firm, sold it ten years later, retired to do his art and teach kids*
1999:
Me: Now that I know how webhosting works maybe I should start my own company offering those services!
Them: Oh no! It’s complicated and it’s probably just a flash in the pan thing! Go get a real job!
My colleague who did it anyway: *got bought out by earthlink a little over a year later for nearly $2million
2008:
Me: You know what, I think this ebook thing is going to take off. Howabout I start a boutique publishing company for romance and erotica? Who’s with me?!?!?!
Them: Oh no! Ebooks are a niche thing, people aren’t going to buy them much. Consider going to graduate school and getting a real job!
The person who did it anyway: *made millions, sold the company, retired*
2011:
Me: Is all this student loan debt wise? I dunno. I made good money on sales of my novels this year. I think I should focus on that, and get into self publishing.
Them: Oh no! REAL author’s NEVER self-publish! There is no guarantee in writing, anyway, so just take out more loans, get your master’s, and get a proper job!
Authors who got into self-publishing early and stuck with it: *made millions, now write for pleasure*
2023 (pandemic era):
Me, sunk under student loan debt and running out of money after quitting “real job” that was psychologically destroying me: I think subscriptions for authors is the future for writers like me; it’s crucial for me to get this launched, no matter the risk.
Them: Oh no! It’s untested, untried! Swallow your pride and just go get a different real job!
Me: …you know what? You can just fuck right off.
Awk, I listened to an interview today with Daniel Pink, who just released a book about regrets. He talks about the two kinds of regret: unproductive -- which paralyzes us -- and productive -- which catalyzes us. Productive regret happens when we accept our regret, reflect on it, and use it as a springboard for change. Yay, you!! for this productive regret, taking you into your future in a whole new way!!
I spend so much time thinking about what I "should" have done! Too bad we can't live out alternate lives in simultaneous parallel universes.