The Most Important Step To Get Things Done

No, it's not a click-bait but you too will agree with me when I say that the most important step that you need to take to get things done is—GETTING STARTED.

Can you finish a thing if you haven't started it in the first place? Can you edit a blank page? Can you cook a meal without having ingredients? Can you telecast a show without shooting? Can you start a business without investment? No? Exactly.

But most of us cannot gather the will or even the courage to start. As easy as it sounds, getting started is one of the toughest tasks.

I am not sure about you, but once I have conquered this one step, things somehow start falling into place on their own.

Let's look at a few reasons why starting is the toughest task:

• The whole work seems intimidating...you know, the thought of how things would happen once we've started working on a task, whether it would go as planned or not.
• Starting from scratch without any plan looks terrifying, so we skip making a plan itself. If you don't know what your step would be, how would you take it?
• Procrastination–No explanation needed, right? But do you know procrastination doesn't only mean laziness? A lot of factors are responsible for procrastination. (Shall discuss some other day)
• The fear of ruining work even before starting it. It can also be seen as the disguised fear of not being able to attain perfection.
• Not setting the priorities!

And many more. Each of us has a unique reason to avoid taking the first step.

But once we are done with this step, the next steps start unfolding one by one. There's resistance while taking those steps too, yes, but not as much as there is on the first step.

Listed below are a few things that you can do to get started on a task.

1. Get clear on what you want to do.

Avoid the mess. If you don't know what your first step is, how would you take it? Grab a pen and paper and do a quick brain dump. Write everything you want to do, everything that's possibly stopping you from doing, everything you need to get started... basically, pour everything you have in your mind on paper. It helps you look at your thoughts and organise them.

A decluttered mind is always ready to work. I, sometimes, even clean my room if I'm feeling resistance towards my work. Your messy space can be unknowingly adding to the chaos in your mind as well.

2. Make a plan or start your research

Do you need to collect information from other sources before you start? Do that. Do you have a plan? Yes? Good. No? Make that.

Having a plan is always a great idea. Even if you're a pantser, you should always know what your first few steps should be. Plan out. It can itself be your first step.

3. Prioritise your tasks

If you don't pay attention to it, you'll keep pushing it to tomorrows (just like me writing this post when I should actually be publishing it. I don't prioritise my Saturday blogs and then just do it at the last moment).

Make a to-do list and keep the most dreadful task on top of it. Just get done with it so that you can stop stressing throughout the day, and what's more dreadful than starting something you have been planning to start since long?

4. Find what's causing the resistance

There's always some underlying cause for not being able to do something, especially when you're feeling resistance in doing something new or starting again.

Is it past failures? Is it some kind of hurdles? Is it distractions like the phone or social media? Is it the achievement of others that make you feel inferior? Is it the fear of failure? Think about what makes you stop from starting.

5. Face the fear of failure or messing up

If you are afraid of the failure, you'll keep running away from the success as well, because the fear of failure won't even let you try. Create a mess, fail, fail again, and then rise.

Ask yourself, what's the worst thing that can happen? And then, leave it to luck or destiny or fate or God or Universe or any higher power you believe in.

Don't let failures stop you. It's the worst you can do to yourself. In fact, failing at least once often sets you free, especially if your phobia of failure comes from never having failed in life.

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. 

-Beverly Sills

6. Will Power

Nothing can be done without will power. Seriously, if I am not bound by deadlines, I can drag a task for any amount of time (I'm doing it to both my books in progress right now).

My will power is strong but it's stronger when I see a deadline approaching. Even if I have to start something from scratch, I make sure I do things without crossing deadlines. I know, sometimes a lot comes up and I, too, have to miss deadlines. But I try that I never do that.

Think about what makes your will power stronger.

7.  Start small or set smaller goals

You don't have to achieve success overnight. It's short-lived. Set small goals for yourself according to your plan.

I always say this, and I repeat: Be easy on yourself.

Don't make the first step even more intimidating by making it complicated and huge. Just take a baby step. Do what you think is the easiest task, even if it's just brainstorming the ideas.

8. Seek help

There's always help present out there. Ask for help from people who you think have experience in the field you need help in.

If you're shy like me, ask the universe for help. I have always had people offering me help on their own in areas I felt stuck. They came like angels. I didn't even tell them where I needed help. They just had so much expertise, somehow became friends with me, and started sharing their experiences which helped me get unstuck.

The whole universe wants to help you, just ask it once for help and you'll receive it at the right time from the right people.

9. Have faith in a positive outcome

We can't control what happens in the world. We can only give our best. We can't control other people, their actions, the circumstance... the more we try to control it all, the more we lose control over what we can actually control—ourselves.

Just try to do your best (don't chase perfection), pray and have faith that things go well, and then accept whatever happens happens.

If it's a success, awesome! If it fails, congrats for the lessons and growth.

If you're reading this post, maybe you need to hear this:

Go, start that project now. I hope it will be a huge success. Best wishes.

Let's connect on Instagram @meetlife240