Why You Should Get Started With Your Goals, Even If You Don’t Feel Ready
Getting started is often the most challenging part, especially when it comes to our precious personal goals.
Whether due to a fear of failure, procrastination, or something else, we can develop millions of excuses for not getting started with important projects.
With that in mind, in this article, we will explore why you should get to work on your personal goals even if you don’t feel like it.
1. Getting started is the only way you will get somewhere.
I used to be a Project Manager, so I get it; planning is important and necessary at times. But guess what? It doesn’t matter if you do all the planning in the world; if you don’t take action on your plans, you won’t be getting very far.
The only way to get to your personal goals is to roll up your sleeves and get started.
If you have ever learned how to swim, you know that you don’t get to learn how to move your arms before getting in the water. You jump — or ease slowly, whatever your preference — into the water and then start swimming.
Or, as this person cleverly puts it:
“The smartest thinker will often lose to the dumbest doer.” — Sorry, I can’t remember who said this.
Now, I’m guessing you don’t want to be the dumbest doer, but you probably need to be someone who takes action if you’re going to accomplish your personal goals. So why not be a smarty pants action taker!
2. It is easier to focus on the next step.
One of the many reasons we might not feel ready to get started with our personal goals is that we can get overwhelmed. Our plans might seem too farfetched or difficult.
After all, the more important something is to us, the more likely we are to overthink it.
So what to do?
A good remedy for this situation is to focus on the next step.
Yes, it is essential to have a clear vision of where you want to go. Still, after you set the primary goal, the next step is to break it down into actionable items.
Another way to figure out your next step is to ask yourself the following question:
“What next action should I take to get closer to my goal?”
For example, you might want to phone a potential lead, send an email to an employer, text that crush of yours, go to the gym, etc.
Then, slowly but surely, you will be making progress, and before you know it, you will be much closer to your goal than you expected initially.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” — Chinese proverb
3. Experience is the best teacher.
I think most people can agree that experience is the best teacher.
Yes, preparation is often best, and research can be essential, but they are only the warm-up for the real exercise: real-life experience.
And to get real-life experience, well — you need to get started.
The good news is that the more often you do a behavior, the easier it will become. In the beginning, it might be difficult for you to get started on your personal goals, but as you put yourself out there and do the work, your behavior will become automatic and eventually transform into a habit.
As Bruce Lee famously said:
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” — Bruce Lee
4. Failure is your friend — with a caveat.
One thing that many successful people have in common is that they embrace failure. They see it as an opportunity to assess their performance and grow.
See, failure is right up there with experience in terms of the best teachers. Mainly because failure is, in essence, an experience.
Success can teach you what you have done right, but failure (if done correctly) will give you a fantastic opportunity to grow as a person.
In short, failure can be your best friend, but and is a big BUT…
You must learn from it.
And ideally, you must learn from it fast.
Failure is not so friendly if you keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again. So the next time you fail, take a moment, breath, give thanks for the lesson, and see what you can do differently next time.
So get started, and get failing.
“Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” — Coco Chanel
5. Take calculated risks
I’m going to switch it up on you a bit here.
After I’ve told you to go for it, encouraged you to jump off the cliff, and laugh at the face of opposition, I now also tell you, please, don’t be stupid.
Yes, I think you should go after your dreams. Yes, I don’t know you, but I’m guessing that you’re hungry for more if you are reading this. And yes, I do believe you have what it takes to succeed.
So what I mean is, take a calculated risk.
For example, if you have a family that depends on you, perhaps abstain from quitting your job until you have some savings in your pocket.
Believe in yourself and get going. Do some planning and get started on your personal goals.
Your dreams are waiting for you.
“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” — Jack Canfield
