Get Going and Do Something!
I'm always advocating for people to "do something". If you have a goal in mind, get started. I can't tell you how many people I've met who have dreams and aspirations of things they want to get done, and yet never seem to gain much ground on them.
People get caught up in the planning stage. In the "I need to know everything first" stage. Most people will tell you from experience that your plans will immediately be rearranged. No amount of planning will prepare you for the real deal.
While I don't advocate for just jumping into something without giving it a second though, waiting forever won't do much for you either.
At some point you need to stop adding to your list of "I should do this" and start adding to the "I did this" list.
Whether you have big goals, small goals, or just want to make a few changes in your life, planning will only get you so far. If you're stuck in the vicious planning cycle, I have four tips for you.
- Ask yourself what the end goal is. When you take the time to think less about the minutiae and more about the grand vision, it starts to put each task into perspective and how relatively important (or unimportant) they are to each other.
- Ask yourself, "What is the worst that can happen?" Be honest and truthfully think about what is the worst possible outcome of incomplete plans. Are you or your loved ones going to be hurt or worse? Chances are it's not quite that serious. In actuality, the worst is usually much less severe. Maybe some lost time or money. But is the alternative (not accomplishing your goal) worth it?
- Write down the next smallest task. I know I said to stop writing, but this should only take a few seconds. In writing down the next smallest task, it forces you to break down the larger goal into smaller pieces. These pieces are achievable and often something that can be done right then and there.
- Do it. Self-explanatory.
As you start to progress to your goal, repeat steps 3 and 4. Think about the next smallest task and then go do it. Each task will probably take less than 10 minutes and you'll start to build up momentum towards your goal. Remember building a wall comes from laying each brick.
- Ryan