Welcome to the first edition of The Inbox Coach, a monthly email to bring you a little bit of coaching to your inbox and help you to make time for your personal development. 

How many times have you put off doing something for days (or months, or years) only to find out that once you got started you had plenty to say/write/do and you wondered why it took you so long to get round to doing it?

Getting started can often be the hardest part of the process and I believe there is usually one of three main reasons why getting started can be so hard…

1. You aren’t clear on what you are trying to do.

2. You know what you want the outcome to be, but you don’t know how to get there.

3. You know what you need to do but for whatever reason (fear, procrastination, lack of time etc.) you haven’t got started yet.

Each of these reasons are quite different, so you will need a different approach to each one to help you to get unstuck. 

Getting unstuck

Not being clear on what you are trying to do is like knowing you want to go on holiday but not sure on where it is you want to go. You can’t book a flight and a hotel until you have picked your destination. In this instance, the first thing you need to do is get clear on what it is you want to do.

If you know what you want to do, but are not sure how to achieve it then you have a knowledge gap. You need more information before you can progress, so the first thing you need to do is some research.

If you know exactly what you need to do, but you just aren't doing it,  then you have to address the barriers that are getting in the way. 

Reflection

To help you get started, think about the task that you have been putting off and ask yourself:

What is getting in the way of getting started?

Think about which reason applies to your situation

What would success look like if I completed this task?

Getting clear on what success looks like can help you to unlock the steps you need to take

How would it feel to have achieved this goal?

Being invested in the goal helps you to stay with it when you aren’t feeling like doing the work

Write your answers down in your journal and spend some time thinking about what it is you are wanting to achieve. 

Action

Now that you are clear on what is stopping you from getting started you can take an action to get things moving. My best piece of advice to get started on something you have put off doing, is to work out what the first next step you need to take is.

The longer we put something off, the more daunting it can seem to get started. Remember, you don’t have to do the whole task, you just need to make some progress towards your goal. By asking yourself, “what is the first next step I can take?” you are breaking down the problem into the smallest possible task. The satisfaction of completing that one small task is usually enough to encourage you to take the next step and then the next, and before you know it the job is done! 

Task

Work out what the first next step you need to take is and set yourself a deadline for when you will have completed it by.

Example next steps:

I want a new job, but I don’t know what it is – write down a list of qualities you are looking for in your next role to get you thinking about what it might be.

I want to apply for a role as a charity trustee, but I don’t know where to start - email a friend who has done this and ask them how they got started.

I’ve been putting off doing an online course – log in to the course and read through the course outline. 

If you can’t do the exercises from this email now, then don’t forget to pick a time when are going to do it and add the prompts in this email to your calendar.

Inspiration 

“I hate writing, I love having written” – Dorothy Parker

Even the most talented people can have problems getting started. I love this quote from Dorothy Parker, as it made me realise that it is normal to not always enjoy the process of the work you choose to do, which can be a big reason for putting off starting a task. You can read my full piece on Dorothy Parker here.

I hope you have found this first email helpful. I'll be back with you next week to see how you are getting on and if you need it, a gentle nudge to get started. 

See you then

Laura