A Lesson in Getting Started...

If You Can't Stop Thinking About It, Pay Attention

Have you ever had an idea that you couldn't get out of your head? Maybe it's an entrepreneurial project, a business idea, or some other BIG THING that won't leave you alone.

For me, that thing was: an idea for a novel.

In my free moments, I found myself pondering the characters and plot points, imagining dialogue and scenes, and begging myself to scratch a few notes down so I wouldn't forget.

And although I had a few lines written here and there, for the most part, the ideas remained in my head, popping up at inconvenient times, like, while I was trying to sleep.

Recently, Joelle Zarcone Denstad who is my colleague, cherished friend, and amazing writer, mentioned how finding the time to sit down and work on her project can be challenging. We agreed it would be helpful for both of us to meet on Zoom (we live on opposite coasts unfortunately) and have a "write-in."

(Check out Joelle's newsletter below)

Smalls Steps Toward a Goal are Better Than None

So, we did. Last night. And while that may seem like an extremely awkward thing for two people to do (hang out online and work in almost total silence), it was marvelous. Joelle got the 30 minutes she needed to "crack open" her files and get words down.

And I finally got to brain dump all those churning, swirling, disparate thoughts and ideas I had around this story into one document.

Our plan is to "meet" every week and work together on our respective projects. For those 30 minutes, we will have accountability to each other to show up.

I'm certain that there will be times when life will get in the way for one or both of us. But we have already accomplished the hardest part: getting started.

For both of us, those 30 minutes together turned into a much longer block of focused, individual time. For me, the writing and brainstorming continued for another hour, as I leapt from one "yes, and then" idea to another.

The mental relief of having all my thoughts in one place was reward enough, but I am equally excited by the prospect of continuing the project next week and making progress toward my goal.

What Do You Need to Get Started?

Maybe you could benefit from sharing your goals with a close colleague, friend or family member. Sometimes having conversations with others can help you clarify your thoughts, your ideas and your goals.

Or maybe, scheduling and protecting a 30-minute block on your calendar to write your ideas down is the kickstart you need to put a plan into action.

I'm guessing you knew these tactics before you clicked on this article. They're not groundbreaking. And they're definitely not new. But maybe, reading this example gets you to change your thinking from "I wish I could do that" to "I'm going to make it happen" for yourself and your BIG IDEA.

Don't put it off. Don't wait another day. Don't wait until things settle down.

There's never a "good time" to start working toward your dream. But one thing is for sure, you are 100% guaranteed to never get there if you don't take the first step.

As Earl Nightingale famously said, "Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of you're doing it. The time will pass anyway."

You might as well get started! It's not as scary as you think... I promise.