Do one small task to get going

When faced with starting a huge project (or business, for that matter), many times we don't know where to start. There's just too much to think about and so much to do that it's overwhelming.

At that stage, many people get stuck strategizing, planning, and just thinking about what to do, instead of actually doing anything.

This problem is a killer of ideas and dreams.

When faced with this problem, the best thing to do is to identify one small task and just get it done. Stop overthinking the massive project in front of you.

Rather, find that initial task that you can execute to get the process going. That will lead to a small win, which will lead to the motivation to execute the next small task, and so and so forth. The next thing you know your huge project will be all done!

I'm not downplaying the importance of strategy and planning, not at all. I'm saying that at some point, you just have to get going.

One example that sticks out to me is starting a podcast.

Since I've started my podcast, I've spoken with some people who are thinking about starting their own.

They tell me that they've thought about what their topic will be, what the format will be like, who they want to interview, what their website will look like, and so on and so forth.

"That's great, you should totally start a podcast," I say. "How long have you been thinking about all this?"

"Oh, for a few months now."

Yikes.

I them tell them to buy a mic, and give them the info of the mic I own, which only costs about $50.

Why buy a mic? Because you can set it up on your desk immediately and that mic will scream "Use me!" every single day.

That constant reminder will force you to accelerate your activity and keep moving ahead to execute that next task. And the fact that you spent a little bit of cash on something that you should use will provide some motivation as well.

Again, I think it's very important to plan and strategize. But plans and strategies are worthless until you actually execute.

And executing that one task that will get you to the next task is so important.

So when you're faced with a huge, daunting project, take a minute to think about that first task that can get you kickstarted.

It's amazing what you can get done once you get going.

This is day 10 of my experiment to blog for 30 consecutive days.