It’s hard to take the first step. Most people are afraid of the unknown, which means that just thinking about changing something or starting a new project can be daunting enough to create significant barriers and effort between any thoughts and action. In this blog post, we will discuss tactics on how to overcome this “first step” drama in life and business alike!
Take a deep breath and remind yourself that the first step is always the hardest
If you can’t find the first step, then take a deep breath and remind yourself that it is always harder to start something new. Talk aloud about your thoughts as if they were someone else’s, so that you can see how ridiculous they sound when spoken out loud! The best way to generate ideas for what needs changing or starting is by brainstorming with another person – this forces our brains to think outside of our own world and come up with different perspectives.
If you have trouble getting started with tasks and projects, then try sticking the “first” task right at the top of your to-do list. Since it is usually easier for people to start smaller things than bigger ones (especially if they are scared of the project), it is a good idea to list out all of your smaller tasks first, and then work on them one at a time. If you are usually stuck because of the decision making fatigue, this approach helps – think of it as outsourcing the prioritisation to your list. Odd as it sounds, this works. The first item is just this – the first item that needs to be done.
Everyone has different tendencies when it comes to reaching deadlines and achieving goals. If setbacks are common occurrences for you, then give yourself more leeway within timelines because there may be different factors (like procrastination) at play. Know thyself, as they say!
Ask for help and support from friends, family, or mentors
Reach out and ask for their help and you’ll soon find it’s an investment that everyone needs to reap. Sometimes it is necessary to reach out for support networks in order to accomplish a complex project. Other times, it’s the emotional safety zone that you need most. That’s why it is so crucial to take the time and effort to cultivate relationships with people who can offer us emotional, psychological, physical, or financial support when we need it most – especially in times of crisis.
Get organised by creating a list of what needs to be done
The first step to overcoming “first-step” drama is getting organised. We need a list of what needs to be done in order to start and finish any project. Create an outline or map of everything that needs to happen, so you know how long it will take and when it starts/ends. This way we can feel accomplished as soon as one thing gets finished on our lists – instead of being overwhelmed by all the things left undone. Often a simple mind-map will do the trick for you. Your project will start to materialise, even if that’s only a rough action plan for now.
Start with something small that you can do quickly without having to invest too much time or energy into it; this will help build momentum for the next task. This also means taking breaks in between large projects – don’t try working through an entire marathon’s worth of TV series episodes over night because you’ll get burned out!
Break down large tasks into smaller ones with specific deadlines
Another trick that helps people overcome “first-step” drama is breaking down large tasks into smaller ones with specific deadlines. That way, it’s easier than being scared of the entire thing and you can get a feel for what needs to be done in order to achieve your goal – which will make you more confident as well when taking those first steps. If you have a really overwhelming task in front of you, like “expanding my online business” – break it down into more manageable chunks and make a simple list, like this:
- Create a landing page
- Find freelancers to scale content
- Build social media following
- Get the right keywords
- Optimize ads
- Regularly track your progress
This way we can feel accomplished as soon as one thing gets finished on our lists – instead of being overwhelmed by all the things left undone. Note that each of those points will have respective sub-tasks. One of the best tools to handle such project structures is Asana.
Commit to taking one small action every day towards your goal
This is a good tactic to help someone who has an overwhelming task ahead of them: commit that you will take one small action every day towards your goal. This way, each day we are getting closer and closer to the end – which feels more doable than it would have if at first glance there were no steps required in order to complete this project.
If you need some extra motivation or accountability, set up an alarm on your phone for 15 minutes before committing to taking that daily step so that you can mentally prepare yourself and focus on what it is that needs to be done next. Make sure not only those actions are micro-tasks as well like “make coffee” but also big picture stuff such as “talk with the boss about my project.”
You can find more on this in a great book The One Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan.
Happy kick-starting!