How to Get Started

Sometimes the hardest thing about achieving any goal in life is simply getting started. Just taking the very first step can be very daunting, confusing and overwhelming.
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Sometimes the hardest thing about achieving any goal in life is simply getting started. Just taking the very first step can be very daunting, confusing and overwhelming.

But the fear and worry that it won't work out usually stops folks. That's a very legitimate concern, because the fact is, it's probably not going to work out how you expect it to. It may not work out at all.

Nobody in the world who's accomplished anything got it all right on the first try. And that's not a bad thing; in fact it's how this world works. You have to do things that don't work, so you can figure out what does. The only way to figure out what does is to figure out first what doesn't.

The information you get from taking that first step towards your goal will be extremely valuable, so let's talk about how to take the first step.

1. Identify your first step

You might think you don't know what your first step is, but you probably do. You're probably worried about it not working out and that's preventing you from taking the step. The exact step you take matters far less than actually taking the step.

We've already established that your first step is probably not going to go exactly as you'd like it to. So your best bet is to get it done as quickly as possible, take your learning from it and get on with it!

2. Do that thing

Whatever you identified as your first step -- do it. This is pretty simple. There's not a lot more to say. You have to do it knowing that you're going to get some surprises, but also recognizing that you'll learn from it.

3. Learn from it

The value that comes from taking this first step has nothing to do with how well or poorly it works. The value is the lessons you will learn from it. You will learn that next time you need to do it a little differently. Next time you'll do it harder ... or softer. You'll do it more or you'll do it less, you'll use a different technique or you'll do it with different people. Maybe you'll make it a different color or a different price or perhaps you'll discover that you should take a whole different path.

Either way, it's fine. What you are doing, frustrating as it might seem, is exactly what you need to do right now.

I wish I knew a better way, but unfortunately, in all that we humans have learned, we have not found a way to ensure that your first crack at anything will go exactly as you would like it to. Take that first step so you can get the benefit of the lessons you learn from it as quickly as possible, so you can move on to achieving all your dreams.

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