Develop the courage to get started

Dear Ms Anonymous,

Do you ever feel like you have all of these ideas or projects you want to do, but you just don’t know how to get started? Or maybe you began, but you feel scared about putting yourself out there?

I was listening to a podcast recently. It was Jay Shetty’s On Purpose episode on 3 Ways to Grow Your Passion with a Full Time Job. A woman in a Facebook group that I belong to posted it, so I gave it a listen. I’ve been listening to Jay Shetty for a few years now. He’s one of the most inspirational people I know.

How do we get started?

On the podcast, Jay was saying that most people believe that they fear getting started. When in reality, many of them already have an idea, which is in fact, the start! So, congratulations! If you have an idea already, then you have already started!

But what about if you don’t have an idea? Sometimes the best way to find an idea of a project you want to do, or even your passion, is to research. Spend some time looking into things that you are interested in. Read about people that you find interesting or look up to. Listen to podcasts on topics that you enjoy.

What if the problem is you have too many ideas? First, you can never have too many ideas! I’m telling you that because I’m an idea generator myself. At any given time I have 5-10 ideas of businesses I could start, programs I can create, or projects I want to work on. Having a lot of ideas is a great thing! Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s not! Check out my post on 5 steps to going after your big idea if you need some help with figuring out how to get started if you have more than 1 great idea!

The most important way to get started is to simply start! So many people get stuck on the “how” part. They believe that there’s a concrete path that needs to be drawn out first. Or they have to know exactly where the idea is going to go from start to finish, in order to get started. But none of that is necessary. When you get started, throughout your journey your course will adjust. You will learn more about your idea, your project, and yourself. And there will be some unanticipated shifts.

It’s important not to allow those unanticipated shifts to keep you from moving forward. If you run into a roadblock, it’s important to assess the situation. Attempt to learn from it, or how to go around it. And figure out the next best thing to do.

Create an action plan

With any idea or project, it is important to create some kind of action plan! Start by figuring out what you would like the project to look like, on the grand scheme. That gives you some kind of direction. And then work on breaking down the idea or project into manageable steps. This will help you not feel so overwhelmed. When you see that you can make progress by doing the next logical step, then you will be able to make faster progress.

I’m not saying to rush through this and just create it quickly so it can be over with. If you are going to put something out into the world, then spend the time to do it the right way. Dedicate time to it. Invest in your education around your concept. Create, adjust, create again. Learn to see your failures as opportunities for growth.

Develop courage to take action in the face of opposition

In the podcast I mentioned above, Jay motivates individuals who have a full-time job to work on their passions during their off times. Sometimes, when we have big ideas, that include veering off of a course that is traditional, we will face opposition. The opposition can be our closest family and friends who do not understand why we would want to leave our “cushy” full-time jobs to go risk becoming an entrepreneur. Or our best friends who want us to go drinking with them every weekend, instead of working on our goals.

When we face opposition of any kind, the best thing we can do is develop courage. We need courage in order for us to say, this is what I’m doing right now, whether you support me or not. And trust me, that is a hard thing!

My husband decided to leave full-time employment at a company to work for himself as an Ebay seller. And if you know anything about sales, it’s a hard thing to leave a steady paycheck for. Of course, you would hope that you would consistently make enough money to support yourself and your family. But there’s no guarantee in that every 2 week paycheck and benefits. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith, whether or not you can see the safety net below.

Having courage to step out, and get started, means that you don’t know what’s going to happen, but you are willing to give it a try. What Jay was teaching us in this episode is that we don’t have to quit our full-time job in order to go after our big ideas, or get started on those projects. Instead, we should fill our downtime with activities that push us forward.

How to shift from getting started to growing

When you use courage, you immediately also summon your growth. Every time you step out of your comfort zone to try something new, or different, you give yourself the opportunity to learn and grow.

So, take the first step, and get started. Use your free time to learn, hone your skills, build relationships with people who can help you bring your idea to reality. As you build and develop your skills, you can put them into practice by volunteering in your community. Use what you know to help someone else. This will in turn increase your self-esteem and continue to grow.

Along your journey, reach out to mentors or coaches who have been where you are, and who are currently where you want to be in your future.

As you begin to build up your idea or project, you will create a bridge to your destination. I love that imagery! Because if you think about where you are now, with time, effort, practice, and investment, you will be creating that bridge plank by plank. Each plank you put down and cross over will take you closer to your destination. And each step requires courage to keep moving forward, in order to see your dreams become a reality.

With love,

P.S. – So, how do you use courage to get started? You simply start.