5 Phrases You Can Use Now To Get Started
They say the most difficult part of getting anything done is to actually start. But whilst that might not hold true for all things, it is definitely something we all experience from time to time.
If you were to google the word “procrastinate” you will get almost 62 million results but if you narrow that down to “procrastinate over starting” then you can almost halve that number and only have to trawl through 35 million results!
Of course, that’s not a scientific result, but it does at least give an indication that starting something (whether new, or something that’s been stalled for a while) poses a problem for a lot of us.
As a human being, I’m not immune to this challenge unfortunately, so today I’m sharing with you another tool from my anti-procrastination arsenal. This one is all about using phrases to trick your mind into thinking that you’re not really going to do the work! It’s sneaky but effective!
Slight Changes
If you were to think of the phrase: “some things have changed slightly”, what might come to mind?
Here are some thoughts:
• I’m not hitting the snooze button so often each morning, so I have a little more time
• I’m aching less, maybe because I’m walking a little more
• I’m dealing with my email by clearing one extra each day and have a smaller backlog
• I remind myself that “this too shall pass” and have become a little less troubled by little annoyances
It can be quite hard to come up with examples like these because the changes are only slight. But, once they’re identified, it’s easier to build upon them.
In a world where we put pressure on ourselves to make big changes as quickly as possible, how might making smaller, but consistent changes impact your day?
Because when you notice the things that have changed slightly because you chose to take small steps there can be a temptation to dismiss their overall impact.
But, the nice thing about the word “slightly” is that it’s not scary, off-putting or overwhelming. And if that’s the case, then our unconscious mind (often our saboteur) hasn’t really noticed enough to try to stop it happening.
Contrast this against the potentially overwhelming approach of trying to make sweeping changes as quickly as possible and you can see why you might not want to even start.
So try to play down a big overwhelming task by taking on the slight changes in a consistent manner and build your momentum steadily.
Practice Runs, Drafts and Rough Outlines
If it’s just a practice run, a draft or a rough outline, then it’s not a full commitment to the task – or at least that’s what your mind will think if you take this approach to a task that you are feeling resistance to starting.
It’s totally feasible that you would want to practice something or create a draft or a rough outline before committing to actually carrying out the work, so using one of these phrases could be a straightforward way of getting over the first hurdle to make a start on the task.
Doing The Necessaries
Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.
Francis of Assisi
I came across this little word (not even sure if it is a real word!) when I worked with a lady who was responsible for processing lodging applications. She wasn’t someone who was prone to procrastination, and carefully worked through each application in a calm and methodical manner.
When I asked her how she stayed so focused, she said “I just do the necessaries”.
I was a bit flummoxed by this response until I worked out that she approached each application as a series of basic tasks that, if worked through, would eventually lead to completion.
This approach works well for tasks that are methodical and repetitive but might not be so useful for tasks that require creativity, initiative or imagination.
However, even if you are doing a task that’s going to take you outside your comfort zone or requires that you essentially develop something from nothing, there are still a number of steps that could be considered “necessaries”. For example:
• Opening up the document, book or file.
• Creating a blank page.
• Saving the document with a descriptive title.
• Clearing the space ready for the activity.
• Gathering the utensils you’re going to need.
• Looking up the phone number.
You get the idea.
But whilst these are small parts of the whole task, they are still necessary and will get you started with the added bonus that you are very unlikely to feel resistance to doing these small “necessaries” so that you can get started.
Where’s My Checklist?
One of the reasons it’s often difficult to start a task is that you might not be sure how to do it. This can be the case for new tasks or for tasks that you do infrequently.
A good way to overcome the unwillingness connected with new tasks is to collate a checklist of the actions needed to complete the task.
If this is the first time you’re doing the task, then it might be worth doing a search on Google for a ‘how to checklist for task x’ or asking someone who has experience of the task what are the key actions and moving forward from there.
Being faced with a blank page where a checklist should (could) be is going to be off-putting, but getting into the habit of creating or finding checklists as you go along will help you to make that important start.
Better Than Before
To get over the idea that in order to start the task you have to have a perfect outcome, try telling yourself that anything you do on the task will make it better than before.
• It might not be perfect, but I have progressed it.
• It might not be perfect, but I’ve now moved past another hindrance
• It might not be perfect, but I now know the next step
Etc, etc. Each time you move the task forward, it becomes better than before, and that, essentially is all that you’re looking to achieve anyway!
Get into the habit of acknowledging any progress by reminding yourself that the task is now “better than before”. We all need that little positive recognition of a job well-done but with longer tasks, that can be a long time coming. However, every step of the way is worthy of appreciation and this little phrase is a useful reminder of the good progress you make every day.
Are You Ready To Get Started?
So there you have 5 phrases that can help you get started right now. If you’re trying to get started on a new task or have something that has stalled but needs to get going again but you’re still feeling resistance, try using one of these phrases in your self-talk to help you move forward.
What to do next…
> Read another post – 5 Signs You Need Help With Procrastination
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