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4: Always Start
It was pouring with rain this morning. The cold, wintery, soaking kind of rain.
I stepped outside, was instantly drenched, and my mind reverted to my warm duvet and comfortable bed.
Not today. I took a deep breath, put my headphones in, and committed to 500 meters. If I got to that mark and decided this really wasn’t worth it, I’d turn around, cut my losses and go back to bed for an extra 45 minutes of zzz’s.
As it always goes, once I was out there, I had fun. Almost by divine intervention, the clouds cleared and it turned into a beautiful morning.
Intertia and momentum sit on opposite sides of the getting-things-done see-saw. Inertia is productivity’s greatest enemy. Every peak seems insurmountable until you take the first step.
Once you’ve broken the initial friction, keeping your legs moving gets easier and easier.
A principle I live by: Always start.
Failure in progress I can deal with. Failure to try, I can’t.
What project, task or goal is hanging in the wings while you wait for the perfect moment to start? What’s the smallest step you can take up that mountain? Maybe it’s an email, maybe it's the first word of the first chapter. Commit to that. Start.
