The hardest thing about getting started is getting started. Whether you are picking up the pen to write, the brush to paint or the feet to jog, you must first just pick them up. Sounds easy, right? I have intended to create this website, and blog, for about a year. Well, now I have. So far I don’t have content, but I do have a way to create content so that it becomes accessible by others. That’s a start.

How many times have you started to start a project but couldn’t get started? Maybe you are trying to start too big? What if you just got SMART? When you set a goal (I will become fit), you can’t go from A to Z in under 6 seconds. It’s best to establish Action Steps to achieve your goal. Those Actions Steps should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-bound. What do I mean?

An Action Step should be specific, not general or vague (I will jog rather than I will exercise). An Action Step should be Measurable (I will jog 5 minutes when i jog rather than I will jog until I feel good about how long I’ve jogged). An Action Step should be Attainable (I need jogging shoes to jog and I can’t pay my rent, so I will need to save $5 a week until I can buy jogging shoes). An Action Step should be Realistic (if I have not jogged ever or not in 10 years, I should jog no more than 5 minutes when I start rather than think I can jog 30 minutes when I start because that’s what it will take for me to get fit). An Action Step should be Time Bound (I will jog twice a week when I start jogging rather than I will jog each Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00 am; rain, sick children or other matters may get in the way of a rigid schedule).

Well, you get the point. Thinking about doing and doing are two entirely different matters. Sometimes we try to get every aspect of a project laid out perfectly before we take any Action Step to get the project started. What happens? You never get started. So, stop starting to start and just get started. What are you waiting on?

Ron