These Two Words Can Get You UnStuck
I'm going to share a powerful insight that profoundly helped a leadership coaching client of mine earlier this year. This week, I was reminded of this same concept on a mastermind call from a fellow leadership coach trying to work through an area where they were stuck.
If you've ever procrastinated (which we all have at one time or another) then you'll probably recognize this advice as part of the key that got you 'over the hump.'
Think of something that’s been languishing on your to-do list. It's probably an action that's important to your long-term results, but I imagine it’s not so urgent that there's a fire under your you-know-what to get it done.
Here is what my client discovered that got him out of procrastination mode.
He told himself these two powerful words:
Just Start.
I know I know, it sounds obvious. Stay with me though. Think about what it really means:
Just - This means to set aside your 'yeah buts' and 'what ifs'. Set aside your excuses and distractions.
Start - Notice this doesn't say 'finish.' You can be successful at starting with the most minuscule actions. These small first steps have big leverage because they shift your energy from red light to green light.
Let me use this blog as an example because it falls in the long-term-important but not-really-urgent category. We have posted almost every week consistently for several years, using the 'just start' philosophy to get the post drafted.
In the case of a blog post, for me, 'just start' means to decide on a topic, open a draft email, and put that topic in the subject line. (Rachael gets that email and works her magic on the first draft!)
Often, 'just start' means opening a blank email or document. Once a work product gets the benefit of our focused attention, progress naturally happens more easily than we thought. and we have the discipline to stay focused on it even if energy or momentum momentarily stalls.
Here are some inspiring examples of how to just start::
Setting up a team off-site — Place a hold on your calendar far enough out to fit everyone’s schedule and give you time to prepare adequately
Conducting a debrief meeting after a project — open an email and add the subject "Debrief Meeting"
Doing professional development — add it as a topic in your next 1-1 with your manager
Writing a proposal — Find a previous proposal with a similar setup and make a copy of it. Don’t have one? Create a blank document and add a few thoughts on the structure.
Putting presentation slides together — open the file and give the slides some headers to start organizing the flow
What is the goal for which you need to just start? Join the conversation on LinkedIn and let us know!
