Getting Started (on anything)…
Why can it be so difficult to get started on the tasks we set for ourselves? If you are anything like me, you have a variety of tasks that you know need to be tackled, and yet you just can’t seem to get started. I have been intending to write this blog post for at least a month. I’ve written parts of it in my head (but never committing anything to paper) and yet, ironically, I just have not been able to get myself to sit down and actually start the process.
So, the question remains: why can it be so difficult to get started on the tasks we set for ourselves? Furthermore, how do we get started? I believe that the answer depends on the task. Some tasks we avoid because we just don’t want to do them. For me, those are the mundane chores that need to be done around the house - laundry, dishes, dusting, yard work, and all the rest. We just don’t like to do them and so we find ways to avoid starting them. In these cases, there really is no magic formula that I have found to get these done. We just have to commit and do it. We just simply have to start.
But then there are those bigger tasks - the work projects that seem impossible to tackle, the baby steps that lead us to a larger goal we have been dreaming of accomplishing. For me, the biggest thing holding me back is fear. I’m afraid, plain and simple. I’m afraid of failing. I’m afraid of looking foolish. I’m afraid of making mistakes. Because of this fear, it is easier to not get started at all. But if I followed that line of reasoning, then Typing Monkey Publishers would not exist. So how do we get past that fear and get started anyway?
The simple answer is to say “just get started” and be done with it, as if we were simply talking about mopping the kitchen floor. I read something recently on social media that suggested as much, and it does ring true. We often wait for motivation, or until we “feel like it,” to get started on difficult tasks. Much of the time, it is not the motivation that will come first. However, if we simply take the first step and get started, motivation will follow and carry us through.
But we are talking about something much bigger and it can be very difficult to overcome that fear. Sometimes it is best to simply dive in and take your chances. Sometimes it is best to formulate a plan, creating a step-by-step schedule to help guide us through. And sometimes we need to reach out to those around us for support and accountability. Ultimately, it is up to us as individuals to figure out how to navigate these situations.
If you are finding yourself dreaming of publishing a book, but aren’t sure how to “get started” please reach out to us here at Typing Monkey Publishers and allow us to be one of your sources of support and accountability. We would be honored to walk you through the process and encourage you along the way.
