I know the feeling and it sounds something like this…
- Oh, I’ve got just one more phone call to make, then I can…
- I first need to organize XYZ…
- I need to first think about it more and have a better plan…
- I need to find my notes and rewrite them so…
- Next week I’m sure it’ll be clearer so…
What’s the problem? You’re talking yourself out of starting something really important. It’s not that you doubt you should do it. You just can’t get going…right? Am I alone? No, I don’t think so.
If you agreed with this assessment, let’s take a second “to hit rewind” to make sure we clearly see the problem we just articulated – it’s “you just can’t get going” (…right?). See, once we “get going” we typically have exponentially elevated our chances of actually being successful, because we have “movement” on our side.
The key hurdle therefore is overcoming inertia to go from being “parked” to begin rolling. Once we’re rolling, the odds of gathering momentum, and even acceleration, are dramatically higher than when we’re parked. This certainly does not mean you don’t need a plan to continue moving forward, but it compels us to zoom-in on the “getting started part.”
So how do you do it? Like anything else start with a plan – a very simple one, almost insultingly so. Construct it by thinking of the first 5-10 minutes of activity and writing it down at the sub-activity or what I call the “slow-motion” level. You can certainly think beyond this time period and sketch out an outline of the next steps, but make sure to go into most detail on the 5-10 minute period.
Why? Your mind just needs a good toe-hold to get you jump-started. As mentioned earlier, once you’re moving you’ll be surprised how naturally it will continue to flow. The key is just “getting started.”
Here’s a real example to make it come alive. I am working on a project with a research institution and need to give some examples on possible ways to illustrate a key concept. Here’s my 5-10 “slow motion plan”: print off an example template I have on my hard-drive , draw a template in powerpoint using my notes from a recent trip, fill out one of the templates with some “live” content to make it come alive, write some explanation text in an email, attach examples….Get the point? I’m sure by the time I reach this step I will have no problem with the rest of this task and my mind will be inspired with further possibilities – I just need a “boost” to get started.
So what is it for you? What execuses do you use? What do you continue to put off? Try the 5-10 minute “slow motion planning” technique to get moving. I’m confident it will be your new secret weapon to get started…and hopefully build momentum.
Picture: 
Jon Marshall via Compfight
