I feel that once you have started working away at a project it then becomes hard to actually stop. If though it is still hard to continue even after starting, I think it’s time to reconsider if it’s worth doing.

You can force feed yourself something that is not a passion.

Success breeds success!

Once you have started a project and achieved some early progress, it’s much easier to keep going.

Specifically with mental jobs (like writing projects, engineering work, etc), it’s hard to get re-started after a long break of days or weeks. Working fluidly requires holding the whole project in the mind at once. Getting RE-started usually requires re-reading all the research and writing that has been done up to that point.

Letting a project moulder on the back burner actually increases the amount of work that will eventually be required to finish it. Once you start working, hold on to that momentum!

I love swimming. I swam in highschool and college, usually as a class (to get me down there). And every day – every single day! – I would stand on the edge of the pool, staring at the (cold) water, and saying “I don’t want to get in there!” And every single day I would get in anyway (sometimes pushed in by the coach, when I was lingering too long…), and swim, and be glad I did.

It’s a great reminder for me of just jumping in, no matter how cold the water, and getting started.

I’m always glad I did.

Personally, I find this to be painfully apt on so many counts, and I completely identify with the posters who said that they have difficulty starting things that they love. I love to walk. Love! It improves everything about me — my physical shape, my mood, my outlook, my energy — but it’s like trying to drag an ornery 800-pound gorilla to the front door every time. And the times are getting fewer.

It’s not just walking, but so many other things I love. My main problem is that I took on a new job that is very physically strenuous, and I’ve allowed that daily effort to undercut my personal choices. The voice in the back of my head that whines about how I need to just kick my feet up and relax because of how much effort I’ve already expended clearly hasn’t noticed the weeds or the dishes (or my waistline). I’m losing my lifelong battle with the Getting Started Monster. I’m really not far from waving the white flag.

I think it’s time for a list.

You should see my storage space right now! It’s a disaster because it’s a low priorty (although it’s getting to the point that it’s bugging me enough to rise up the priority ladder).

When I worked hands-on organizing, the biggest lesson I would teach my clients was that good enough was just that – good enough.

Thanks for pointing out that a log such as I suggest won’t work for everyone. While the log may not work, I still stand by my statement that the only way to beat the Getting Started Monster is to take some sort of action – and that applies to everyone no matter what segment of the population they fall into. The log is a way to provide proof that they’ve managed to start other projects. For you clients, some other sort of proof would probably work better.

@Mary
Yay to having a mantra! I’m not one for personal affirmations, but I’m all for gentle (or not so gentle) reminders to take action.

@Dory
Glad to help! And it’s amazing what a deadline such as going back to work will do to light a fire under our butts, eh?

@Barbara
For many things the not-finishing is a matter of lack of passion – we start something then discover it’s not as interesting as we thought it would be, or we discover that it’s a lot more work than we imagined. The last article in this series talks about not-finishing – so stay tuned!

@Soochi
Well done on breaking things down. When the first step is small enough suddenly all the fear and apprehension disappear because why be afraid of something so small?

@Jenny
Thanks for this comment – you have summarized all the reasons for hiring a professional organizer. What you’ve lost in your bank account you’ve gained in emotional and physical freedom. Definitely worth the trade off I’d say!

@Mary
Unclutterer is one of my favourite blogs as well – Erin and her team do such an amazing job with it!

@Vicki K
The fear of not being perfect holds a lot of people back from starting, myself included sometimes. I love your attack plan – it’s simple, doesn’t require a lot of prep and easy to maintain. Wel done!

@Amanda
Good for you for the painting! I often use deadlines like that for getting things started (and finished). In my last house, I would have parties every 3 months for that exact reason.

@Kelly
Great fortune cookie – much better than the usual ones. As for the Never Finishing monster – that’s the last monster I tackle in the series. Perfectionism is so hard to combat but yes Gretchen does an amazing job helping us get over our perfectionist selves.

@Celeste & @Beste
You too will enjoy the rest of the series then (today’s post is the No Momentum Monster – which many people forget about).

@Diane
You’d think that things we enjoy doing we’d start and continue with joy, but I think human beings are inherently lazy so it’s difficult to find the motivation, even when we love an activity.

@Heather
Richard Wiseman talks about this in his book 59 Seconds – there are studies that show that once we start something, even for a moment, we’re more apt to finish it due to some brain chemistry thingy happening.

@Lobby
Sounds like a wonderful odd series. Thanks for the link!

@Ryan
Yeah, I’m not a big fan of writing down when we don’t start things for that very reason – it turns into a procrastination tool. The only cure for procrastination is action.

@Susie
That’s a good one – and much more refined than the usual “s**t or get off the pot!”

@Chacha1
A log celebrates what you have done while a to-do list focuses on what you haven’t done yet. It all depends on what motivates ou more. I’m a big fan of breaking projects down as well do that I only need to focus on the immediate step while ignoring the rest.

@Sarah
A lot of writers find that very useful way to get writing. For me that kind of thing is another procrastination tool and the best way to ensure I’m writing is to schedule into my day as if it’s another simple chore on my list (like doing the dishes).

@Michele
Sometimes with particularly onerous tasks (like washing walls and ceilings) I too reward myself. Even with things I love I reward myself (like a week off of writing after finishing the first draft of a novel).

@Kell
Well done! I do that with my running if I’m feeling tired. I start saying that I can stop whenever I like after 15 minutes and usually I continue for over an hour, but sometimes if I’m truly tired (or my allergies are bad) then I will stop and not feel bad about it.

@Another Deb
“Done is better than perfect” is a great line! I also teach English to adults and I’ve learned it’s okay to go into class feeling slightly unprepared – it keeps me on my toes and allows for a more organic feeling learning space – but then again I don’t need to follow a strict curriculum.

@WilliamB
I love the stuffed animal idea! Sounds like you’re a very visual and tactile person, so by having something physical to vanquish you’ll then feel motivated (and maybe even eager!) to get started.

@Julia
My pleasure! What a great start – huge progress! And I agree – at this point don’t worry about finishing. That’s later sometime in the future and therefore not worth stressing about. Better to focus in the progress of the moment.

@Chris Edgar
I tend to start wandering about and get the urge to snack even though I’m not hungry. I use these feelings a trigger to tell me that I’m procrastinating and use it to focus on getting started.