Just Start

Want to know the secret to creating amazing apps, writing great articles, or even owning a business?

Just start.

That’s it.

We have so many amazing ideas every single day, the number of ideas that turn into reality is a tiny percentage of all the ideas we have. One of the biggest reasons our idea realization rate is so low is that we put off starting. We give ourselves excuses like “I don’t know how to do that” or “I don’t have time” or “I can’t possibly do that”. Maybe you can, maybe you can’t. You’ll never know if you don’t try.

Oftentimes, the hardest part is getting started. We have this great idea but maybe we’re afraid we won’t be able to create something as good as the idea, or maybe we feel overwhelmed by choices, or maybe we don’t know where to start so we do nothing. It’s easy to leave in fear and confusion, but ultimately, you’re only hurting yourself.

What if you tried to create that idea and it turned out amazing? Or it turned out horribly, but you learned a ton and made new friends while working on it?

We are naturally resistant to change. It’s human nature. But change is essential to growth. You can’t grow if you don’t change. If a caterpillar never became a chrysalis, then it would never become a butterfly. Without change, there is no growth.

How do we lower the barriers to beginning something? Easy. That’s literally the solution. We need to make that first step, the starting action, as easy and simple as possible. You want to draw a picture of a dog? Start by picking up a pen. You want to write a book? Start by writing one word or one sentence. You want to create the next Facebook? Start by opening up your IDE.

Your first step should be as simple and easy as possible. Almost anyone should be able to do it.

That’s how you determine your first action step. There’s also a mental step involved. Your first mental step should be letting go of the need for perfection and awesomeness. Take a deep breath and say to yourself “I’m ok with this being dreadful because my next try will be better”.  It might feel a little uncomfortable to embrace the possibility of your work turning out less than great. That discomfort is wonderful! It means you’re growing.

If you’re always comfortable, you’re never growing and you’re never improving. Embrace discomfort and embrace the possibility of awful. You will get better.

Now that you know how to determine your first action step and we’ve just gone through the mindset shift you need to grow, start. Your first step to achieving whatever it is you want to achieve should be so incredibly simple and easy that you really have no excuse not to do it.

Your first step gives you the momentum to keep going. Pick up that pen. I bet you’ll draw at least a dot or a scribble. Write one word down. No matter what the word is, you’ll probably write some more.

Just start. You can do it!