The Power of Starting: Sometimes the Hardest Part Is Just Beginning

Recently, I was at Mount Hotham for the weekend. While spending some time at the Onsen day spa at Dinner Plain, I met a young man who was part of the Paralympic team.

We started talking, and I was immediately impressed by him. He was confident, capable and focused. He was a talented snowboarder and surfer, committed to his health and thinking seriously about his future.

He was also considering a career change.

He had been working as a tradie and knew he wanted to move towards something less physically taxing on his body, ideally involving the marine environment.

Then he asked a question that stayed with me:

“How do I start?”

Here was this incredibly competent young man who had already achieved things many of us never will yet starting the next chapter of his life still felt difficult.

It reminded me that we all get stuck sometimes.

Why can starting be so difficult?

I have always considered myself a natural starter. I like trying things, researching ideas and gathering information.

I have always believed that knowledge gives us information, and information helps us make better decisions.

When I am unsure about something, I research it. I look for evidence. I ask questions. I talk to people who know more than I do.

Then I take a step.

But I have also seen how easily people can become overwhelmed when something feels too big.

Sometimes we aren't lacking motivation. We're overwhelmed by the size of the task.

If we are thinking about changing careers, starting a business, improving our health, changing relationships, studying, applying for a new job or making a major life change, we can become so focused on everything that needs to happen that we don't do anything.

Start smaller

I have seen this with my own kids.

If I give them a long list of things that need doing, sometimes nothing gets done. Give them one thing? That's achievable.

So instead of saying, “Here are the ten things I need you to do,” I'll give them one. When that's finished, we move to the next.

It is simple, but I think the same principle applies to many areas of our lives.

You don't have to complete the whole journey today. You just need to start the next step.

7 ways to get yourself started

1. Make the first step ridiculously achievable

If something feels overwhelming, make the first action smaller.

Want to change careers? Don't start with “I need to find a new career.” Start with: “Today I'm going to research three possibilities.”

Want to start exercising? Don't begin with an enormous fitness plan. Start with a walk.

Small actions create movement, and movement creates momentum.

2. Get information but don't hide behind research

I am a great believer in gathering information before making decisions.

Research. Ask questions. Speak to people who have experience. Find out what qualifications you might need. Understand the risks and opportunities.

But there comes a point when gathering more information becomes another way of avoiding starting. Eventually, you have to act.

3. Ask for help

I have always been comfortable asking for help. None of us knows everything.

Often, someone else can see a solution, opportunity or pathway that we can't see because we're too close to the problem.

Asking for help is not a weakness. It can actually be one of the smartest ways to move forward.

4. Eat the frog first or start with something easy

There is a time-management expression about “eating the frog” tackling your hardest or most unpleasant task first.

I was talking with a friend recently and told her that when I have a list of priorities, I often try to tackle the difficult things first. She laughed and said she does exactly the opposite. She starts with the easiest thing.

And I thought: Does it really matter?

If doing the hardest thing first works for you, do it. If completing two easy tasks gives you the momentum to tackle the difficult one, do that instead.

The important thing is that you have started.

5. Create habits that make action easier

Motivation comes and goes. Habits are more reliable.

Rather than waiting until you feel motivated, create small routines that move you towards what you want.

Write for 15 minutes. Make one phone call. Research one course. Send one email. Walk for 20 minutes. Put aside one hour each week to work on your business idea.

Small actions repeated consistently can become significant changes.

6. Stay calm when everything feels urgent

I have spent a lot of my career managing events, projects and situations where problems suddenly appear and decisions need to be made.

One thing I've learnt is that panic rarely improves a decision.

When everything feels urgent, stop and ask: What actually needs to happen first?

Not everything has equal priority. Identify the next important action and deal with that. Then move on.

7. Don't wait for perfect conditions

There will always be reasons not to start.

You might think you need more money. More confidence. More knowledge. More time. Another qualification. A better website. The right opportunity.

Sometimes those things genuinely matter. But sometimes we're waiting for everything to line up perfectly because starting makes us vulnerable.

You don't need to know exactly where something will lead before you take the first step.

How coaching can help you get unstuck

One of the most valuable things coaching can provide is a space to turn thinking into action.

Often people already know something needs to change. The difficulty is working out what to do next.

A coaching conversation can help you clarify what you want, identify what is getting in the way, explore your options and turn a big goal into manageable actions.

Sometimes you don't need someone to give you the answer. You need someone to ask the right questions.

What do you actually want?
What's stopping you?
What's within your control?
What's one thing you could do this week?
And importantly: When are you going to do it?

That is where thinking starts becoming action.

Just start

I don't know exactly where that young man's next career will take him.

But our conversation reminded me that even confident, accomplished and highly motivated people sometimes need help figuring out where to begin.

Whether you are considering a new career, starting a business, improving your health or simply dealing with something you've been putting off, you don't have to solve everything today.

Write the list. Choose one thing. Do the hard thing first or do the easiest thing first.

It doesn't really matter.

What matters is that you start.

Sometimes the smallest action is the one that changes your direction. 😊

Jeanette Seignior
Business & Personal Leadership Coach & Event Specialist

Let's Start a Conversation

Whether you are developing your leadership, considering a new direction, navigating change or simply feeling that it's time for something different, you don't have to have all the answers before you begin.

Sometimes the first step is simply having the conversation.

Let's talk about where you are now and where you'd like to go next.

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