Why is it so hard to begin?

Have you ever set out for a destination before, or had an idea of a goal you wanted to accomplish only to spend so much time in the early stages or the planning stages that you never quite get there? Like you had this really great idea for something, and all it ever amounted to was just that, an idea…

So many times in life I’ve started something with great intentions of getting to the finish line or accomplishing a goal, only to be discouraged by my lack of progression weeks into it.

I think the hardest part of any journey in life is typically the beginning. There are so many outside factors that are able to come against something in the infant stages that getting out of this stage is sometimes more a rarity than a commonality. Think of a sea turtle, if lived to their full life potential they are one of the longest living creatures in the animal kingdom. Unfortunately once they hatch from their eggs, only an extremely small percentage actually make it to their full life potential.

From the second they are born there are predators trying to kill them, natural occurrences that hurt their chances, or even well-meaning humans that interfere with those crucial early moments. All of these things contribute to the demise of so many baby sea turtles.

Think about a new business someone is starting. There are a bunch of steps that need to be taken before that first dollar can be earned. Everything from registering the business and getting legal documents taken care of all the way to ignoring the naysayers and critics and pressing on. It’s literally a constant battle to start a business from scratch.

When I look back at my life and all the different dreams I wanted to start, I began to notice that the reason I didn’t finish could fall into one of a few categories. Maybe you are like me, maybe there are some dreams or goals that you got really excited about, only to never end up accomplishing them because of things that were in your control.

Below are some of my top reasons I’ve seen in my life as to why I stopped in the very early stages of going after a goal.

Laziness

This is probably one of my biggest downfalls, being lazy. I’ll get a great idea in my head, get really excited about it and start planning, only to never actually move out of that planning stage. Because getting out of that planning stage requires work. Hell the planning stage even requires work, but moving past that requires you to actually respond and put forth effort.

Wanting perfection over progression.

I’m an observer and an analyzer. I like to observe how others do things, their wins and losses, what they say they would‘ve done differently. I start to compile this big huge list of how I want things to be/look that it begins to get overwhelming. It’s gets overwhelming to the point of me not doing anything because I have created such a perfect idea of how I want something to look. I’ve fallen victim many times to the “paralysis by analysis” syndrome. Rather than focusing on progressing from the beginning stages to something I am proud of, often times I want it to be perfect from the very beginning. And very few things, if any, actually start that way.

Procrastination

I actually wrote an article on this titled “The ‘Perfect Time’ Is A Myth”. Far too many times in life I’ve stayed stationary because I thought “oh I can do that later on”. As if later on will not have it’s own set of commitments and things to worry about.

Self Doubt

That inner voice that we all have can be one of the most crippling things there is. It’s a powerful force that is naked to the eye yet it’s effects are very visible. Self doubt enters our minds from a ton of different outside factors, but ultimately it is up to each individual to give it life or not.

Lack of Inspiration

Sometimes it’s really hard to get inspired to create something out of nothing. Or let’s say you’ve already started something, to continue to get new new ideas and keep the momentum going can be difficult. A lot of creatives I’ve followed and learned from have all suggested to try and create something(in your respective field) daily. If it’s writing, write a piece daily. If it’s making videos, record something daily. Painting, draw something daily. Even if you never publish those things, keeping the juices flowing is important because life is not always full of those deeply inspiring moments. Sometimes we’re going to have to pull from deep within and create something out of our own fortitude.

Comparison

I know this is a killer for a lot of people, myself included. It’s so easy to look at people’s finished work, or their progressed work, and compare it to our beginnings. I don’t believe comparison is innately a bad thing. Sometimes it’s good to compare your work next to a more complete product to see areas in which you can improve, ideas you may not have had, etc. Comparison turns toxic when it causes you to remain stationary in your pursuit of your goals. As well as when it makes you lose your integrity and try to be someone or do something you are not. That’s the point where comparison is a killer and where it’s detrimental to dreams and goals.

These are some of the most common things I’ve noticed in my life that have caused me to not pursue ideas or dreams that I have had. It’s a constant progression to fight each one. At times, some are easier than others. I haven’t fully arrived, I am a work in progress. What are some things you’ve noticed that have held you back from going after a dream or goal that you initially set out to? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Much Love

Mike