Sometimes getting started is the hardest part.
Whenever I decide I want to begin a new project, the first thing that runs through my mind is usually negative. How hard is this going to be? How much of my time is this going to take? What can go wrong? What if I invest a lot of time and find out I don’t want to do it after all?
I have decided that this type of thinking is stopping me before I even get going. I have a new plan of action – start with the positive questions instead of the negative ones. It’s a simple switch that works like a miracle.
I have several projects on the go right now. As I consider how to attack these head-on, I’m thinking in terms of what positive things they will bring into my life. In other words, I start by looking for the benefits and not the negatives.
These are the steps I take:
1) Make a list. At the top of the list, write down what the task is. Make two columns – one for pros, and one for cons.
2) Get everything out of your head and onto the paper. Even if it seems trivial, write it down. Continue until there are no thoughts left in your head that aren’t on the paper.
3) Walk away. Don’t consider looking at your list until at least a couple of hours have passed by. The clarity that you will bring to this after a break will help you sort through what is important and what is trivial.
4) Highlight the top five pros and cons on the list. This helps to narrow the focus down to your most pressing concerns.
5) For each one of these top five pros and cons, list three reasons why each one matters so much. Continue until you have worked through all five on each side of the list.
By getting everything out of your head and onto paper, the ability to step back and really see what the issues are is enhanced. Most of the concerns that you wrote down will mean nothing to you as you start analyzing them more closely.
For the concerns that are important, you will be able to break them down into manageable steps that can be tackled and solved with ease. At this time, you will also be able to see if you are heading in a direction that you really want to go. Refinement at this stage could save you lots of time altering course in the future.
For example, let’s say you want to start writing. When I first started, I used to edit as I went along. This slowed me down too much and made me question what I was doing throughout the whole project.
I now find if I just get everything out that I want to say, afterwards when I go to edit I have a much better idea of how the writing should flow. When I tried to edit in midstream, sometimes I wasn’t sure how things were going to end up and I had to go back and edit again.
Things flow much more easily when I have a plan. If it’s a writing project, a decent outline sketched out before I begin keeps me on course and allows me to see how the project should unfold. When I try to do things haphazardly with no plan of attack, I find that I stray too much, and the project gets out of hand. Planning saves me time.
The same thing goes when I want to start a new fitness routine or eating plan. As long as I have a clear idea of the direction I want to go and what I want to accomplish, it makes it much easier to decide on the steps to get there.
If I go to the gym, for example, by knowing what my goals are for that day, week, or month, then I know exactly what I need to do from the moment I walk in to the time I leave. I don’t spend time wandering around wondering what I should do next.
It’s really a form of self-discipline. By clearly seeing what the result is that you’re trying to achieve, it is much easier to plan the steps to get there. Just saying something big like, “I want to lose weight” or “I want to get in shape” is not a good way to start a solid plan. Ask yourself the how’s and the why’s before you start and go from there.
By keeping in mind the end goal, the path to get there will be much easier to traverse. Plan to succeed, and you will succeed in your plan.
Now when I start projects, I look forward to making my plan, outlining the steps, and knowing that I have given myself the best chance to succeed.