The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”
Mark Twain
I once heard the author of a book about Mother Teresa talk about the profound effect she had on him. When a woman asked him about what advice Mother Teresa would give to someone who wanted to do good in the world, but didn’t know where to start, the author said that Mother Teresa would have said, “Only begin.”
Only begin. It sounds so simple doesn’t it, and yet it’s often so hard. We should begin revising that play sitting in our drawer or send out that short story we’ve written or tackle or join that writers’ group we’ve heard about. And yet taking that first step is hard.
As my friend and mentor Rob Gilbert often says on his Success Hotline (973.743.4690),”It’s the start that stops most people.” How true this is!
You know the drill: You may have a vague wish to get started, but then inertia takes over. Or excuses: You don’t have enough time. You haven’t taken that course you saw. You didn’t do enough editing to submit.
How do we get there from here? How do we cross the bridge from where we are to where we want to be?
A great tool for taking that first step on the road to getting started with anything is what Dr. Gilbert calls “The 15-Minute Rule.” Whatever you want to do, just commit to doing it for 15 minutes and then give yourself permission to stop. Nine times out of ten, once you’re 15 minutes into it, you’ll keep going. And the satisfaction you’ll feel at having actually gotten started will help you keep driving forward.
The “I did it!” stage: This is where we all want to be. What do we need to get there? A simple strategy: Just get started! Momentum beats inertia every time! Mother Teresa was write: Only begin. And write on!
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