5 Reasons to Get Started Right Now

Like Shaq says in his commercial, Are you on demand or are you on delay?

When it comes to your dream, goal, project, or passion, what are you waiting for?

What’s really holding you back from launching that new business venture? What’s stopping you from starting that new fitness routine? When are you going to take that vacation? When are you going to write that book? When are you going to apply for that job, or start that new career? When are you going resign from that position, or organization that you know you should have left 3 years ago? When are you going to confront that situation that needs to be addressed?

“Only what you confront will change. What you refuse to confront will remain the same.”–Roberts Liardon

What’s the delay? The demand is evident. You’re tired of the status quo. The passion for the new venture is about to leap out of your chest! What are you waiting for? Your passion is your permission. You’ve drawn up plans and edited those plans 800 times. It’s time to implement the plan.

Make a decision. Put your plan in place. Take an action.

Get ready to enter a new race. Follow your true passion. It’s your time to be free. You’re going to feel like a 10 ton weight has fallen off of your shoulders. But first, you must get started.

Consider these 5 keys when you are launching any new endeavor:

1) Start badly.

Don’t worry about how you’re going to finish the entire project. Don’t worry about being flawless. Just get started. Your initial attempts don’t have to be perfect. Author, Steve Chandler says, “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.” What this means is you are going to make some mistakes in anything you do, but don’t let that stop you! Don’t worry, you’re not going to settle for mediocrity; because you’re passion for excellence is too strong. This is why you consistently succeed against the odds. So just get started, even if your initial results are less than desirable. Most authors will tell you that their first drafts were terrible; I know mine were. But the end result was wonderful. It would not have happened if I didn’t at least start badly. Start badly if you have to, but just make sure you get started. Excellence will rise through your persistence.

2) Put your time in.

Author, Malcolm Gladwell shares in his book, The Outliers, that anyone who has achieved world-class success in virtually any area, i.e., sports, business, technology, career, etc., has had at least 10,000 hours of practice. He cites business tycoon, Bill Gates. He shares that Gates really is not much different from you. It’s just that he started computer programming when he was in about the 7th grade. He had access to a computer lab that just happened to have the highest level of computer technology in the world at that time. The only difference is, once Gates started computer programming around the 7th grade, he never stopped! No wonder he dropped out of college. He was a world-class computer programming expert (10,000 hours of high level experience) by the time he was around 18 or 19 years of age! For most of us, 10,000 hours of practice equates to 10 years of experience in developing a certain skill. That’s why you should get started, and never stop. If you are an author or want to be one, start writing and don’t stop. If you want to be in the best physical shape of your life, get in the gym and be consistent. If you want to get a higher degree, persevere through the required academic process. No matter how tough it gets, if it’s your passion; hang in there. Never be discouraged at your results, they will improve over time. The key is to get started. How many hours have you logged when it comes to your dream, goal, or skill? Be determined to put your time in.

3) There is no “perfect time”.

If you are waiting on “perfect conditions” before you get started, then chances are you never will. Avid golfers know that no matter how “clear” the day looks, there is always some challenge that factors in to how they will execute each golf shot that day. I have never seen one golfer walk off the tee box and say, “Nope, I’m not going to hit that shot, I’m not going to play today, it’s too windy.” No, just like the avid golfer, you make adjustments. You make decisions, and you take the required actions. You may not have every piece of information that you want, but you probably have enough information to make an educated decision. Once you make your decision, it’s time to take an action. It’s time to execute the shot. Follow your “gut”. Don’t wait for the “perfect time”. The “perfect time” is when you decide to make it happen; it’s when you decide to take action.

4) Someone is waiting on you.

Do you realize that if you don’t get started, if you don’t follow your passion, that you could be robbing someone of an answer to their problem? You’ve got the answer to a question that they’ve asked for a lifetime, but your holding on to the answer by not creating. Someone is waiting to read the book that may change their life or business. Have you written it yet? Someone wants to pay you for the knowledge and skills that you possess. Have you created the business yet? There is an opportunity, or a connection with your name on it. It’s just waiting for you to grab it. Someone is waiting on your encouragement and feedback. Have you given it to them? Who is it that may be waiting on you? Go ahead and do what only you can do. Someone is waiting on you to help set them free.

5) Do the thing.

Nike says, “Just do it.” But some of us just don’t get it. Steve Chandler says, “It’s the doing of the thing that gets it done.” The way to become anything is to do the thing. If you want to be a coach or a consultant, just get started. Go help somebody. Whatever you want to become, just start where you are. Start with the opportunities that are in your life right now. Don’t wait for a “big break”. Stop taking a break and go motivate. First, motivate yourself, and then go motivate someone else. This works in any area, i.e., career, academics, fitness, business, cooking, relationships, or breaking bad habits. It works for anything. All you have to do is, do the thing.

Take the above keys and insert them into the ignition of your new endeavor. Start the engine of internal motivation. Shift the gears out of park, and into drive, and then accelerate. You will feel a tremendous sense of fulfillment, begin to build up on the inside. Measurable results will begin to ramp up on the outside. All because, you challenged yourself to just get started.

Question: What do you think really holds people back from following their true passion?

Let me hear back from you.

Turn Your Setbacks into Accelerated Comebacks,


Craig L. Sanders
“The Comeback Specialist”

P.S. To inquire about Craig's book, "Keys to Manifesting Your Destiny", his coaching packages, or to have him speak at your event, please visit his website: http://www.craiglsanders.com/

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