How To Reframe an Overwhelming Beginning
You might have broken your to-do list into a more detailed one, and still thought it appeared daunting. Especially when the word “start” is used.
The following items were on my to-do list at various points in time, and sometimes simultaneously:
- Start plotting my next novel,
- Start searching for a job,
- Start writing a report,
- Start networking with specialists in my business niche,
- Start reading an article,
- Start applying for a new passport,
- Start learning to use my new mobile phone,
- Start packing for our holiday.
The phrases above might seem like small steps since they only require that the process is started, not completed. But the word “start” can sound daunting in itself and make the task difficult to approach.
The other issue with these statements is that they are not concrete. The word “start” is vague and doesn’t precisely state what should be done.
Here is how you could rethink and reformulate the tasks above:
- Choose a theme/topic/era/setting for my novel,
- Make a list of jobs I would be interested in,
- Find (ask for) or draft the requirements for the report,
- Identify one (or more) local meet-up for my business area,
- Print out the article or download it on my preferred media, or read one paragraph or section,
- Find out where I can apply for a new passport,
- Unpack my new mobile phone, read (one chapter of) the user manual, and charge it,
- Take out the suitcase and put it near the wardrobe, or jot down five items I need to take with me on holiday, or list the documents I need to take when traveling to that country.
If the suggestions above don’t seem effortless to do then break them down further, or do something else on the list that does. Accomplishing that task might give you the necessary boost to do the other assignments, or give you an idea of how small the steps should be.
A note to this article: It is a modified excerpt from Self-Gamification Happiness Formula: How to Turn Your Life into Fun Games.
In addition to the stories referenced in the article above, you might also enjoy this one:
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About the author:
Victoria is a writer, instructor, and consultant with a background in semiconductor physics, electronic engineering (with a Ph.D.), information technology, and business development. While being a non-gamer, Victoria came up with the term Self-Gamification, a gameful and playful self-help approach bringing anthropology, kaizen, and gamification-based methods together to increase the quality of life. She approaches all areas of her life this way. Due to the fun she has, while turning everything in her life into games, she intends never to stop designing and playing them.
