I’m currently trying to think which tune works best for the word ‘Procrastination’, I think I’m gonna go with the jaunty Cliff Richard version of ‘Congratulations’.

Procrastinations and celebrations
When am I sitting doing nowt but idling
Procrastinations and jubilations
Don’t want the world to know I’m self-sabotaging

However the reason for my lyrical wonderings isn’t because I am still procrastinating, but because I have finally stopped.

I want to make this next bit big and bold, so apologies for shouting: THIS IS NOT A MARKETING POST.

So the big news, for all my internet friends (Hello all three of you!) is that I have finally opened my Etsy shop!

I started pondering this dive into the world of online selling last year (or was it last decade?! (sorry that was the obligatory ‘time is so different now’ reference)) when I was furloughed from work, and it became a real thing I was definitely going to do 6 months later when I decided to officially leave my career.

The plan was to open my lovely little shop in January (of this year) but, and here’s where the Cliff Richard sing-along comes in, I allowed myself to procrastinate for FOUR MONTHS. That sounds bad now that I say it….but not quite as bad as the OTHER FOUR MONTHS of procrastination that had preceeded it…but bad enough.

They recommend having at least ten items of stock before opening your Etsy shop so….procrastinate, procrastinate, procrastinate…

They insist on you uploading photos of your stock before you save your listings as drafts so…procrastinate, procrastinate, procrastin….

You really should consider how you want, or don’t want, to market your shop once it’s open so, procrastinate, procrastinate, pro…

You need to make sure you’ve got all your packaging and pretty stickers in place before you start trying to sell anything so, procrastinate, procrastin…

You need to get over, or at least deeply bury, any imposter syndrome, inferiority complex or self-doubt you have so, procrastinate….

and breathe………….

I carefully crafted ten items of stock, more in fact, but there were now ten items I was sufficiently proud of. I borrowed a posh camera and a posh couple of locations to artfully pose my work in. I investigated just how much I really DO NOT want to be on Instagram (and I’m ok with that) but how I might eventually venture into the world of Pinterest one day. I ordered Errant Moon stickers and pretty purple packaging and I continue to battle my demons with wool, buttons and bloody minded stubbornness.

So I managed to get the shop open.

This morning, on the treadmill, I had one of those wonderful, fleeting moments of joy. A reminder of my good fortune, without the guilt that comes from unearned privilege. I have a body and mind, family and friends, abilities and ideas. I live in an imperfect world that has opportunities available to me, if only I am brave enough to take them.

All of this might seem a little much for simply opening an Etsy shop but I prefer to take a million small steps towards my ambitions so that I get to enjoy the journey, wherever it leads, rather than taking huge leaps into the unknown. Until you have walked in someone else’s shoes you cannot know what their achievements mean to them.

This one makes me very happy indeed.