Thursday, March 7, 1996

Just Get Started

What is the best way to get something done? Just get started and do it! But getting started seems to be the hardest part.

Getting out of bed in the morning is difficult for most people. Once you’re out, though, you can generally make it through the day without having to crawl back under the covers. Momentum is a powerful force. That’s what makes it so hard to get up. The trick is to get momentum working on your side. And the best way to do that is. . . Just get started on what you need to do.

Once you get started, it will usually be much easier to continue. Your momentum helps to carry you through. So get started on whatever you need to do, even if it means just doing something minor. In fact, it helps to split your work into small, manageable sections. That way you don’t have the feeling of being overwhelmed. Set little goals -- “I’ll get the first two pages of the report written this morning.” And continue to attack your work, piece by piece.

It has been said many times that “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Once you take that first step, you’ve done everything you need to do to get where you’re going. It’s just a matter of taking another step, and another and another, until you are where you want to be. That first step gives you the momentum, and the confidence, to complete your task.

— Ralph Marston

Dealing with information overload       The little things

Copyright ©1996 Ralph S. Marston, Jr. All Rights Reserved. The Daily Motivator is provided for your personal, non-commercial use only. Other than personal sharing, please do not re-distribute without permission.