I just had a life-changing realization, and it's so simple I can't believe I was so blind to it. It's so common, well-known, and obvious that I feel kind of foolish for overlooking it.

About four days ago, I had a huge realization. It blew my mind how simple it was, and I couldn't believe I had ignored it my whole life.

To get anything done in life, you have to force yourself to do the things you want to do but haven’t—because they’re "scary" or "too hard." You literally just have to do it. (Thanks, Nike.)

This applies to almost everything, but I always heard it in the context of approaching a girl and asking her out. I’d think, "That’s bullshit, it’s not that simple." And guess what? I never actually talked to her because I was too scared.

I guess I just subconsciously thought there’d be an easier way, or that it would happen on its own.

But here’s the truth:

THERE IS NO EASY WAY. THERE’S NO SHORTCUT. YOU JUST HAVE TO FUCKING DO IT.

If it works out, awesome. If not, then you move on and learn from it. It really is that simple.

• Want to ask her out? Fucking do it. If she says yes, great. If not, no big deal—move on to the next. You won’t regret it because you’ll have learned and the next time will be easier.
• Want friends? Go out and force yourself to talk to people.
• Want to exercise and eat better? Start with 10 minutes of exercise or one healthy meal a day. Just do it.
• Want to start a hobby but think it’s too much of an investment? Just start.

There’s never going to be a perfect time. No signs are going to appear. There’s no shortcut. If you don’t do it, you’ll end up sitting around and accomplishing nothing. That’s the cold, hard truth.

I’ve spent way too much time not doing anything because of social anxiety, fear of judgment, and fear of failure. I was afraid of failing, so I failed by doing nothing. (I know, it sounds stupid, but that’s how it was.)

I barely had any friends (still don’t) because I was too scared to talk to people and didn’t want to put in the effort.

I’d avoid parties and events because "there are too many people, it’s going to be awkward."

I’d skip exercise or healthy eating because "it’s hard" and I didn’t want to face the temporary discomfort.

I just expected things to be handed to me. I wondered how it was so easy for others to get things done, but now I know—it’s not easy. They just forced themselves to do it and had the discipline to follow through.

A week or two ago, I forced myself to go to a party I didn’t want to go to because I was scared. And I ended up having a great time.

I also went to a club, forced myself to dance, and surprisingly had a decent experience.

These past two weeks, I’ve had so many experiences I actually enjoyed because I pushed myself to do things. And it’s been life-changing. I feel like I’ve learned more in this short time than I ever have because I stopped holding back and started doing.

The more I force myself to take action, the more I realize it’s not as bad as I thought. I end up having fun, learning, and accomplishing things I never thought I could.

This might be common sense to some people, but for me, it feels like a curtain has been lifted. I had been living with my eyes shut, just waiting for things to happen. But now, I see things clearly.