Jun 11, 2021 1 min read Productivity

Getting Started Changes Everything

Most of your plans are right out the window the second you are taking your plans into the real world. Whenever you are stuck searching for the optimal plan, remember: Getting started changes everything.

If you read this newsletter, chances are high you are a knowledge worker.

And as a knowledge worker most of what you do does not come with a step-by-step manual or even have a clear, tangible outcome telling you when you are on the right path.

There is a lot of uncertainty and a million variables we could take into account for all our tasks, projects and goals.

So we start doing research. What have others done? What's the best practice?
So we draw up intricate plans. What's the optimal strategy? What's the most effective path to get there?
So we are looking for better ways to do things. How can I do this in a more productive and efficient manner? What tools would help me do this?

There is a place for all of that and to a certain degree it is necessary: It's a good idea to do SOME research. It is a good idea to have a ROUGH plan of where you are going. It's helpful to take a QUICK look if there is any software that'll help you save time.

But let's not mistake motion for action.

Because all your research, plans and tools won't matter if you never get started — aka take action.

It happened to me a million times.

I get excited about a new topic, tactic or idea and I would dive right into the motions. Reading blog posts, watching videos, listening to podcasts, talking to people, all of it. But in hindsight I ALWAYS come to the same age-old conclusion: