Rakshit's Place

Sunday, September 16, 2007

“Come on Lets get started, OH NO! I have a Problem”


One of the most challenging things about starting on a new task usually isn’t

  1. the planning,
  2. the thinking about it or,
  3. the mapping it out
It is the doing!

Actually taking the first step is often the most difficult part of any new undertaking।

In fact, one of the reasons projects fail, is lack of implementation. In others words - not starting the project was a major cause of its failure. Such is with life; we can have the best intentions and plans, but if we never start, nothing will happen.

Even in my case itself, whenever I try to start a new project, somehow I always feel to postpone it with reasons only I can understand. I remember when I was about to start my B-Tech final year project, everyday I used to woke up in morning saying to myself “Yes, this is the day to move on”. But the whole day use to pass by and at the end I left with only consolations “Oh common this is not the end of the road. It’s the full १ year project. Lots of time is left. Don’t worry”. I know being an optimist always helps you but this was the case of being OVER OPTIMISTIC. My Project Guide used to ask me every time I meet him about the progress of my project. My best reply”Sir, I am working all day and night”. In reality I was doing nothing but wasting time as if I got 1000 years before I die.

Getting started just seems to be the most challenging aspect of anything new.

My guess is one of the biggest reasons that starting is so challenging is the fear of the unknown. All the doubts and uncertainty can be devastating. Also, fear of not doing it right, or even not knowing what to do. The cure for all of these fears is action. Action is the enemy of fear. The best thing to do when fear sets in is to take action, and the secret is - any action will do. Just get moving and fear will move aside so that the beginning can start.

If getting started has you stunned with fear, take a deep breath and take one small action. Do something, anything. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you take action. Getting started is challenging, but once you do, you will build momentum that will keep you going.

Another trick that might help you is to get an accountability partner. Someone you will report to from time to time on your progress. It sounds silly, but you are more likely to start and stick with what you promise someone else, rather than just promising yourself. It is so easy to break a promise you make to you, but not as easy to do so when you have committed to a friend, a mentor or a coach. In my case my Project Guide always forces me to get going.

That’s why before entering in this Blogging Universe without any second thought ( what I’ll write and how I’ll manage), I just stepped in and lets see how far I manage to go. I want to be the living example of the theory mentioned above.

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