Overcoming the Inability to Get Started
Overcoming the Inability to Get Started
Finding Your Path
Have you ever had this feeling or thought before?
“I know I have so much more to give the world, but I just don’t know how to get started?”
Welcome to the Overcoming Obstacles newsletter, where we explore the most universal obstacles in life and then walk through steps to overcome those obstacles.
This week we are going to explore the obstacle of “getting started.”
And this is not an easy obstacle to overcome.
And here’s why?
Fear
Anxiety
Lack of Experience
Lack of Knowledge
The truth is you have a lot to give the world.
In fact, 99% of people in the world never tap into their true potential. That’s right, most people walking on this earth today NEVER reach their full potential or push themselves beyond the obstacles, so they can reach full happiness and fulfillment.
Unfortunately, most people reach a level where “its just good enough” and then just stop trying after that.
There’s nothing wrong with stopping, if that’s truly what you want to do.
But what if you want to know what your full potential actually is?
And what if you want to know what you’re fully capable of doing?
Then what?
So here’s how we are going to overcome the obstacle of getting started.
Step One
The Fear of Failure
One of the biggest issues with getting started is the fear of failure. Yes, that’s right—most people never get started because they are afraid of failing.
But here’s what most people don’t realize.
Your fear of failure is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In other words, because you’re afraid to fail—you never try, which means that you failed before you ever got started.
But here’s the cold harsh truth. The act of trying means you’re a winner.
It doesn’t mean that things will work out in the end and it doesn’t mean that you will get the result you are looking for. But only 1% of people in the world try—therefore only 1% of the world are winners—and everyone else that refused to try are failures.
Therefore, your hurdle isn’t the outcome—you’re real hurdle is trying.
Step Two
Worrying About Outcomes
This should come as a no surprise to you, but no one has a crystal ball. That means, no one knows what’s going to happen in the future.
There is a psychological condition known as “social anxiety disorder.”
And psychologists who work with people who suffer from this condition have tried for years to get them to stop worrying about things that are “not in their personal control.”
Things like the weather or how many people might show up to a specific event or even if people will approach them or not.
What studies have shown is that anxiety is caused by worrying about things that have not happened yet, but the person with anxiety has internalized those worries to a point where they believe they are real and no longer imaginary.
For example, let’s say you have to make a big presentation in school or at work and you start to worry about what other people might think about your presentation. This is a normal anxiety for most people that have to make presentations. This is why public speaking is the #1 fear of human beings.
But when you breakdown the reasons behind the fear—it’s really simple to understand.
What you’re afraid of is the “possibility” of things not going well. Therefore, the anxiety you feel is made up. You’re worrying about the future and the future hasn’t happened yet.
Therefore, your fear is irrational.
So what psychologists try to get their patients to do is help them unravel the irrational fear and anxiety through a series of questions:
Did the event happen yet?
Do you know what will happen in the future?
What are you in control over?
What are you not in control over?
When you answer these questions honestly—you begin to overcome the anxiety. And that’s because the event didn’t happen yet, you can’t predict the future, you only have control over your own actions and you can’t control what other people say or do.
So what are you worrying about?
A Brand New Newsletter
The reason I decided to write this week’s obstacle was because I was having difficulty getting started with another project. I started my social media channels in 2020 because I wanted to share my knowledge and expertise on “how to be successful in the 21st century,” but also how to give people a real 21st century education.
That is stark contrast to the education we all received.
Over my career, I have taught, mentored and coached approximately 5,000 teachers (that represents 5% of all teachers in NJ) and I have also worked with over 100 school districts.
Therefore, I decided to start the Principal’s Academy newsletter, which will have two posts per week. The first post will be at the beginning of the week, where I ask subscribers what questions they have and what obstacles they are facing.
And then at the end of the week, I will choose a few questions or obstacles and then provide high level details as to how to answer that question or solve that problem. The newsletter will be 100% free, but it will be infinitely valuable for school leaders and those that want to become school leaders.
My hope is that if more and more school leaders can get more research-based 21st century answers—that we can start to fix education SOONER rather than later.
Step Three
“I don’t know where to start”
One of the biggest reasons people never get started on pet projects or projects that get them excited is because they simply don’t know where to start.
Has that ever happened to you?
Do you have an idea that gets you so excited that you start feel overwhelmed and the thought of starting the idea then just starts to feel like a mountain you can’t climb?
You’re not alone.
Everyone goes through the same exact feelings and issues.
In fact, I have dealt with these overwhelmed feelings myself.
The key to overcoming them is doing research. The only reason you don’t know where to start is simply because you don’t know enough yet about your idea. And that’s ok.
You need to take yourself off the hook.
When you first have a great idea—it’s just a spark of inspiration.
But if you want to turn that idea into something bigger, now you need to sit down and take this journey seriously. And this is the most difficult thing for most people to do. But this is the moment you need to push through.
You need to sit down and admit to yourself—”this is important to me.”
And if it’s important—there can be no more games.
Take it seriously and do real research on your idea.
Find out if anyone has ever tried your idea before
Find out if anyone has been successful with your idea before
Find out what it would take to make your idea a reality
Are you reinventing something or just making a previous thing better?
When you find out these answers, it will outline for you a basic roadmap. And once you have a roadmap—you know exactly what you should do first.
Share Your Dream With Us!
Tell the Overcoming Obstacle Community what you want to achieve in your life?
Now’s the perfect time to announce to the world—”here I come!”
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