How to start doing something?
I’ve started quite a few things in my life and probably like you, I haven’t finished a lot of them. Especially as an adult. Shouldn't this (past) Covid era teach us to rethink our approaches?
There is something to be said about beginnings. Some we consider nice (like the beginning of a relationship, when love is still fresh and you’re both still head over heels about each other), while some, we dread (starting a new career path). Why do you think that is? For most of us it’s due to the fear of unknown territory, which makes us loose that all-important feeling of control. It’s safer to be in control, right?
Imagine being at work with a stereotypical micromanaging boss standing behind your back, judging and nastily commenting your every move. We all hate the idea of having that kind of boss, don’t we? Then why are we being that stereotypical boss towards ourselves internally? - we rigidly supervise ourselves, while holding our own throat tightly with no or very little room to breathe and grow.
Every day, actively practice something
And make it into a habit
There is a freedom from self-burden and harsh self judgement, which both limit us in actually being present and active in our lives. It seems counterintuitive, but that freedom is achieved very simply: Practice. Every day, actively practice something by mentally focusing on that task. And make it into a habit. Meditation, sport, drawing, a new language, cooking, anything! And sure, you can visualize where you want to land in life, but stop thinking about the goal(s) so much! You don’t want to be there, you want to be here, making sure you’re doing everything to achieve your aspirations and actually grow as a person! Practice your NOW. And you’ll get there. Or somewhere else. And that’ll be ok, too.
But how DO you start doing something? By first making sure that deep inside, you know and feel you can continue (and not think about the finish). Because by practicing something else, you’ve already seen yourself going over leaps and hurdles a million times, sometimes struggling, but always learning and persisting. And backed by this inner confidence, there’s no need to say: »You can do this!« to yourself anymore, because simply, you ARE doing it.
So why not start off with a good new habit today?