Do you often feel excited about embarking on a new project but when it’s time to get started, you find yourself reluctant to take the first step?
At this point, you are less excited about getting started because you are either focused on how tedious or how time-consuming the project will be. Or you might be fighting the thought of how you are going to stay committed and consistent when you get started especially when it’s a long-term project.
In all these scenarios, the main problem is how to get started? The thought of getting started could most times be daunting and you are most likely lacking motivation on taking the first step.
What do you need to do to be motivated and feel that initial excitement you felt when you conceived the idea?
Here are five things I do to get started especially when I am reluctant to take the first step;
1. Motivate yourself by imagining a stimulating reward
This is one of the fastest ways I motivate myself to get started on a new project. I create a mental picture of myself receiving a reward during or after completing the project. Imagining the feeling that comes with getting this reward is my greatest motivation.
This technique helps me a lot during times I’m reluctant to write an article even when I have a great topic. In this case, I imagine the gratifying feeling I would have when I write while sipping a chilled fruit juice. So my reward here is the fruit juice.
Think of something that you really what to get for yourself (like a treat) then envisage yourself getting that as a reward after starting the project.
On the other hand, this approach is actually a win-win for everyone. You get to have a reward you have always wanted and also get started on a new project. Isn’t that great?
2. Start from the littlest task
One reason why you might be unenthusiastic about getting started is that you see the project as a whole and not in bits. Viewing the project in bits will help you spot smaller tasks from which you can begin.
The magic in this is that when you start small, you trick your mind into believing that the task is small and within a little time you are done. But the reality is that when you are done with the first small task, there will be a connecting line that demands you to continue to the next task that is still in the same frame of the project.
The first thing I do when using this approach to motivate myself to write a blog post that I am unenthusiastic about is firstly convincing myself to just only read about the topic. In the process of reading about the topic, ideas for my post will pop in and I jot them down.
In this scenario, you will notice that my initial intention was to only make research about the topic, and in the process of that, I found a connecting line that made me get started writing the post.
3. Seek new ideas about the project to fuel your energy
Sometimes, you just need a new idea about your project to spark up the fire and get you started.
You can find this new idea while listening to a podcast or even while listening to someone else conversation on the bus. You just have to be on the lookout for it.
Another way is to talk about the project with a knowledgeable friend. There might be a suggestion or remark he/she might make that will lead to you getting started.
I remembered in 2020, I had first nursed the idea of owning a blog but due to some circumstances, I didn’t bring that idea to reality. Earlier this year, I was in a conversation with a friend who joked about us becoming partners and owning a blog.
This single joke was the spark I needed to get started. Here we are today, I own a blog and I am writing to you.
4. Don’t overthink it
Overthinking about the project will only mount unnecessary pressure on you and you really don’t want to go down that lane. Besides, constant worrying doesn’t get the project started.
I tend to overthink things a lot. But the moment I start worrying less, I have a clear head and can figure out how to start. That is because I had dismissed unnecessary information like negative ‘what if’ questions and doubts.
I counter my worrying thoughts with positive thoughts that energize and motivate me.
Also, you might be overthinking about how to get started either because of fear of failure or fear of not starting perfectly. Regarding the latter, it’s beautiful to want to set the bars high but allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.
5. Remind yourself why you wanted to start the project
There is always this excitement you have when the ideas of a new project are just at the conceptualization stage. At that point, you might be so eager to start working at that stage.
During that stage, you had a purpose that drives you to want to start the project.
For me, my purpose for blogging is to share the information and experience with as many people that read my content because I believe that someone out there needs it. That is the reason why I keep writing and pushing out content even on days I don’t feel like doing so.
So, think of the no. 1 reason why you wanted to start the project, write it down and paste it somewhere you can see it every day. Then watch yourself steadily grow and smash goals.