Struggling to get started?
Most of us can identify with a desire to put off the tasks we like the least. But many of us also choose to put off beginning the things that we are really excited about. Task initiation - the ability to start a task - can have a big impact on the way we work and live our lives. Infinite projects, goals, and everyday tasks are never accomplished because of those initial first steps.
If the proverb, “the first step is always the hardest”, rings true for you - don’t panic, you are not alone. The good news is that getting started is an executive functioning skill that anyone can learn and master. We all approach new tasks in multiple ways and each have different motivations for taking, or not taking, that first step. If you have been putting off getting started on even a seemingly small task, it might be because you haven’t considered your approach or your motivation for doing so.
Your first step today? Read and try one of these strategies to get started on something you have been putting off. You’ve got this!
Go for the Bronze Medal - In the Olympics of task initiation, don’t set your sights on the gold. Lower the bar. We're not talking about the end result, we’re talking about the very beginning. And let’s be honest, it doesn’t really matter how you start to clean out a cupboard, write a report or create an exercise plan, just as long as you actually start it. If you have perfectionist tendencies, you might recognise that your reasons for not beginning are often less about your actual ability, your time constraints or your even desire to complete the task. Rather, your reluctance to begin is more about managing your expectations. If your beginnings feel overwhelming, go for the bronze medal. A ‘perfect’ beginning isn’t necessary to begin. It’s just the first step. How can you lower the bar of your own expectations and make a start?
Eat the Frog - This approach, often attributed to Mark Twain, is a fantastic prioritization strategy. Simply put Eating the Frog means doing the worst thing first. This strategy is particularly useful if you find yourself unmotivated to begin a list of tasks. Again, these tasks may be things you actually want to do, but picking one and starting there is daunting. Twain proposed that if you have to eat a live frog, (hopefully the worst task on your list!), do it first thing in the morning and then it’s done for the day. If you know that you won’t be able to fully focus on anything else until that one specific task is begun, this could be a great strategy for you. Ask yourself - What is the worst or most unappealing thing on my list today? Make a start on it.
Choose your Language - Past failures and the emotions we have attached to those experiences can be real barriers to our success. Recognising that our emotions and thought patterns impact our ability to initiate tasks can be a great first step to taking action. Take a moment to think about the way you speak to yourself about your beginnings. How can you reframe the way you speak to yourself about your current situation? How would you encourage a friend? Remember that task initiation is just a skill, like learning to drive or tie your shoes, that with time and practice can be mastered.
Right Size It - Sometimes the very best step we can take to get started is to take a moment to plan our approach. Often the tasks we put off are those that feel enormous and unachievable. This is where the old adage - “How do you eat an elephant? One bite a to time,” - holds true. If you have an ‘elephant-sized task in front of you, right-size it. Ask yourself - Is it really an elephant, or perhaps more a tiger or rabbit-sized task? What steps do I need to take to start, (not complete!), this task? What is one thing or two things I can do today to begin? It can be really useful to time yourself as you complete your first steps towards a larger goal. We often distort how much time something will realistically take and ironically spend longer thinking about it than we actually spend doing the task. Ask yourself - How big is this really? Can I shrink my first steps? What can be done right now?
Climb the Ladder - This is another great prioritisation strategy when you are presented with a long list of tasks. Climbing the ladder simply means starting with the easiest tasks first and then working your way up to the most challenging tasks. This strategy enables you to have some quick and easy wins. This can be really useful when you are seeking to gain momentum and build some muscle with task initiation. What can you do right now? What are your easy wins today? How can you start well? Easy wins can help change our mindset about a task which changes our emotional responses to task initiation.
Sweeten the Deal - Sometimes our motivation to begin doesn’t come from our desire to see the task completed. This can be particularly true of the mundane and repetitive tasks that life requires of us - emptying the rubbish, grocery shopping, and replying to never-ending emails. When you find yourself in this situation try to sweeten the deal with yourself. What can you ‘offer’ yourself in return for beginning a task? Or take it a step further, what can you reward yourself with when the task is completed? You know what drives you, so choose to make task initiation more palatable in a way that ensures you begin. Celebration and recognition of work begun is vital for developing positive task initiation skills.
Explore and experiment with these task initiation strategies. Choose the ones that work for you and notice a change in your mindset about getting started.
That thing that you’ve been thinking about and meaning to begin?
Today is your day - Go get started!