Everything Can Start from Zero: It All Depends on Your Willingness

Understanding the Barriers to Starting a Side Hustle

Some people say they're swamped with work, pulling long hours of overtime, and have no time for projects or side hustles. I get that.

Some folks really are super busy, with little free time and even less of those big, uninterrupted chunks of it.

But there's one thing you can do: writing.

You could say writing is a thing that costs hardly anything, doesn't gobble up too much time, has a low entry - level, can improve yourself, build up your knowledge, and even make you money.

You can write about your life, your experiences, things you know, and areas you're good at. Put out a ton of content publicly to help others.

So, why are so many people reluctant to start from scratch?

Well, starting from zero means putting in a lot of effort. It takes a long time of building up before you see significant results. A lot of people just don't want to wait or can't stand that long period with no feedback. That's why so many give up.

The so - called "three - minute enthusiasm" happens when people don't get the feedback they want in the process. Or maybe these people just love the new and shiny.

Once they figure something out or give it a try and find it doesn't give them new or stronger thrills and feedback, they'll ditch it and look for the next thing that feels exciting, unknown, and fresh.

Solving the Problem of Three - Minute Enthusiasm

How can we fix this "three - minute enthusiasm" problem?

We can take a leaf out of games, especially those with levels. Each level is a brand - new scene, a new challenge, a new try. And every time you clear a level, you get some rewards and obvious feedback.

This can, to some extent, solve the problem of losing interest quickly.

Overcoming the Fear of Starting from Zero

So, how do we deal with the issues of not wanting to start from zero, not wanting to learn new things, and being too scared to break through?

This is not only a matter of mindset but also a question of motivation.

There's a saying, "You can't make something new without breaking the old," and another one, "Find a way out in a desperate situation."

I used to wonder why we have to wait for things to "break" or be pushed to the brink before we can make changes, achieve breakthroughs, and find solutions.

Later, I got it. It's like if there's no deadline for a task, a lot of people won't do it. If there's no time limit, they'll just keep putting it off.

Without real - world pressure, there's no motivation to act. Most people won't change themselves unless they have to because they think they're doing okay as they are, so why force themselves to change and feel miserable?

In fact, a lot of us are like this, and sometimes I am too.

That's human nature. Only a few can go against it to change themselves, while most have to follow it.

I've read a lot of stories about successful IPs and found they all have one thing in common: Those who turned things around always went through an extremely tough time, like being broke, in debt, seriously ill, or depressed. They had to face a dead - end situation before they could make a change.

What if you haven't reached that point but still want to change?

You have to set high standards and goals for yourself. You need bigger dreams, aim for more challenging targets. Set a really high goal for yourself, and rely on hope and luck to break through. Learn to "paint a big picture" for yourself.

Try to set a goal that seems completely out of reach right now but that you really, really want.

Dig deep to find what you truly long to achieve, even if it seems like an uphill battle.

Write down this goal, print it out, and stick it on the wall or in front of your desk, somewhere you can see it all the time to remind yourself.

Then don't hesitate or doubt this goal.

Just believe you can achieve it, and don't lower the bar. Keep it right there.

Maybe you won't reach it in one, two, three, or even five years. But trust me, as long as you keep at it and get closer to the goal, you'll find it might go from being a far - off dream to something you can almost touch or at least see a glimmer of hope for.

Maybe in five or ten years, you'll actually make it.

I couldn't have imagined five years ago that I'd be doing self - media and side hustles, with thousands of followers and friends on WeChat.

It was completely beyond my wildest dreams back then. If I'd set a goal five years ago, I probably wouldn't have thought I could do this.

So, be bold and set your goals, even if they seem way out there and people might think you're daydreaming.

Daily Reading & Writing by Xiaolu 07/08/2025 [Day 673]