Why is it so hard to start? And then continue?
So you have found it, your passion. You feel like anything is possible. You’re done writing that first chapter, have signed up for an online class, finally bought a ukulele, or like in my case started an online blog. This particular moment is the best. You’re full of energy, finally feel like, “This is it! This is my moment!”
And then there comes the moment when the thing you love starts to become the thing you want to evade.
I had a dedicated MY IDEAS notebook. And oh I was proud of it! Thoroughly researched ideas and plans. I had written them down, doodle-drawn motivational ‘today-is-the-day’ and ‘you-can-do-it-s’ around them. I had set goals. I knew I was just one step short of making a change. Instead of taking that one step, I decided it was time for a siesta 😛
That’s the thing about plans and ideas. They are easy to put on paper but not as easy to put to action. We all go through these times where we don’t know where and how to start .. .and if we do begin then the question becomes, how to continue to stay motivated?
The ‘why’ is different for all of us. Some of us are afraid of failure while some of us have that tiny voice in our head, that becomes not so tiny when it wants to scream “not good enough”. This blog here is one of the ideas that made it out of my diary despite these reasons and more. This small victory has made me realise a few things about plans and perseverance. I’m sharing them in the hope that they can help anyone who’s ever faced the question “How do I keep going”
1. Enjoy the small victories: Finally hitting Publish button on this site made me really happy – it was a good feeling, I got started, I took the first step! Never underestimate the power of acknowledgement – the steps that bring you joy and delight are the ones to be celebrated. The recognition of your own small achievements make staying on the plan a little easier and a lot more fun. So yell out a yay! and keep watering the self-appreciation plant.
2. Take a break: Some days I am overflowing with ideas; on others I’m drowning in despair feeling absolutely talentless. I had a couple of thoughts ready even before the first post made it online. Then I felt a decline in my energy and inspiration. And I realised that it’s alright if this time it didn’t go exactly according to the plan.
Stay the course, even when things around you make you feel like nothing is happening. We must remember that it’s a process. If you need a break or are feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to give yourself that space and bit of time. I did and it works! Makes coming back and making up less difficult.
3. You love You: Looking at other success stories can be motivating. Sometimes, not really. I realised I had to be kinder to myself when doing that because scrolling through tales of triumph, I couldn’t steer clear of feeling inadequate and started to feel a little behind. That is when I reminded myself that it is important I draw inspiration from their journeys without forgetting that my own story is one of a kind too. We must allow ourselves to move at our own pace and not be disheartened by comparing.
4. There’s no 10/10: Perfection is a strange concept. We overthink, mull over finer details, tweaks and trims and in the process of doing so get discouraged or lost. The imperfect idea never leaves our head not having cleared our strict quality standards. What we need to remember is that a plan is better when it’s ‘out there’. Something is better than nothing. We can always come back and make things finer. But there will be nothing to fine-tune if there’s nothing at all. Give yourself a chance. Don’t let the inner critic stop you from taking that step.
The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Out came the sun and dried up all the rain, and The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the spout again
While there are so many ways in which this rhyme can be understood, I think it explains to an extent what it is to persevere. Itsy bitsy knew what it wanted and started toward it, faced a hurdle, realized it needed to rest, recharged itself as the sun dried up the rain and started again. That’s what is important, right? Begin. Take a breather. Reinforce. Continue. Persevere.
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