Most of us are running a losing race. I hear it all the time: “I’ll be happy when…” or “I’ll start when…” This all sounds perfect and makes sense in your mind, but in the real world, I’m going to need you to stop listening to that voice and start where you are.
The voice in your head is a never-ending battle. As soon as you come up with a bright idea, it kicks in with, “Who do you think you are? You can’t do this! No one’s going to listen to you – you’ll never be considered an expert…” It never stops. The only way to destroy this daily mental battle is to start. Even if you don’t start out strong, take a step.
“I’ll be happy when I:
- have $50,000.”
- graduate from college.”
- lose 20 pounds.”
- get a job working from home.”
At this rate, you’re just an unhappy person until something happens. Although you may be working towards these goals, you can actually still be happy. In the midst of your journey, do things that make you happy. It’s not up to some magical circumstance to make you happy, it’s up to you. You can bark back at that voice in your head and you can be happy in the meantime. Just start and you’ll be proud of yourself at that very moment, I promise.
Another one is: “I’ll start when:
- I make more money.”
- she stops making fun of me.”
- I move into my next apartment.”
- I’m done with the research.”
Stop making up new starting times. The time to start should always be now. When you have an idea, the default voice in your head should automatically say, “Not now, but RIGHT now.” Again, you’re depending on some magical circumstance to start doing whatever it is you want to do. You’re comfortable with waiting when something else happens, then, if it actually happens, you’ll make up another time to start. Don’t get comfortable with being lazy. It’s never a good time to start. Let me say/write that again:
IT’S NEVER A GOOD TIME TO START.
Having said that, start right now. Don’t put a silly timeline on when you’re able to begin. Stop doing research that never ends. How about starting and creating your own research as you go along? That way, you can compare what you’re doing to how someone else did it, not for comparison’s sake, but for theory’s sake. See how it can be done better and do it!
Things get done by the simple act of starting. Take that first step, no matter how big or small. Keep doing it until it’s done. A year later, you’ll look back and be glad that you started, because you’ll see how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished. There’s no better feeling than the satisfaction of completing the goals you have set for yourself. Just about everyone has a story to tell and they have that adventurous story because they started. Drink some water and start your adventurous journey.