Starting

How many things have you thought about starting, but just have not been able to take the first step? Things like getting a new job, moving, learning to speak Spanish, getting in shape, losing weight? Making the decision to commit to a coaching program can fall into this category, too.

Like writing, the most difficult aspect of completing (or even exploring) a task can be that of starting. When something is unfamiliar, difficult, or something you feel you’re just plain not good at, all kinds of barriers seem to go up that prevent you from starting. Some of these barriers can be conscious, such as rationalizing that there are just too many other important things to do (“I don’t have time to start!”), and others may be more insidious, such as procrastination.

As with most of the times that we feel blocked in our lives, fear is a major component. If I write something, what if it’s no good? If I put myself out there and look for a new job, what if nobody wants me and in the process my current boss finds out I’m looking? If I say I want to make some changes and commit to a coaching program, someone’s going to hold me accountable for actually making changes within a specified period of time…..am I ready for that?

How do you get yourself ready? There’s a key distinction between being interested in doing something and being committed to doing it. Say, for example, you decide that you want to be more physically fit, and walking is the vehicle by which you’re going to accomplish that goal. The first three mornings go great – you get out and walk like the Energizer Bunny (known as “Pinky” to his friends) for two miles. The morning of the fourth day, you get up and see that it’s pouring rain outside. If you’re merely interested in getting in shape, you roll over and say to yourself, “I’ll walk later, when it’s not raining.” If you’re committed to getting in shape with your new exercise program, you get out of bed, put on raingear and get walking.

So which comes first, starting or commitment? In my experience, both personally and with clients, better results happen with commitment first. But sometimes, even with commitment, people find it hard to start. Once they get started, momentum is easier to maintain (it’s easier to keep a moving object moving than it is to set an inert object into motion).

Along with fear about the results, a factor that can hold us back from starting on a change is viewing the task as a whole and getting overwhelmed by its immensity – all the steps that will have to be taken, what the obstacles are, how long it will take to complete. It’s good to have a plan, but it’s also good to start with some action right away. By making incremental progress with small steps, the change gets broken down into manageable bites.

What’s a change or task you’ve been procrastinating about starting? Write it down now. What are 3 steps you’d be willing to take this week to start? Write them down now, along with when you’re going to do to accomplish those steps. Tell at least one person (you can tell me, if you’d like) about your commitment – commitment is stronger when you share it with others. Ask that person to check in with you next week to see how you feel about having started.

Still stuck? Call me. We’ll get you started.

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E-mail: ginger@magellangj.com
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