The Secret Of Getting Ahead Is Getting Started

 

I’m going to start my own business one day…

I’d like to run a marathon one day…

I’m going to get a new job one of these days…

I’m going to paint the house pink one of these days…

Sound familiar?

We’ve all said the above or similar and then not followed through. But to quote Mark Twain – “the secret of getting ahead is getting started“.

How many good ideas are sitting half-started in someone’s garage? How many good ideas are rattling around in someone’s head while they sit on their couch in front of the TV? How many good ideas are developed over a couple of beers after work, only to remain unrealised?

Do you have an idea or a dream like this? Something you’d like to do but haven’t?

Perhaps you have a very good reason for not having done it – you’re too busy, you haven’t got the time, there are other things going on, the time isn’t right…

Are they reasons or excuses?

When we think about our dreams it’s quite natural to think of them as something that will happen in “the future”. But over time we keep putting more and more of our dreams into the future. Pretty soon the future becomes a pretty busy place, but what about the present?

Popular reasons excuses for why we don’t start things:

• Too difficult – Is it really? Sometimes things seem difficult to begin with but you won’t know until you give it a try. Perhaps there is an easier way to do it? Or could you downsize to a more manageable option?
• Not the right time – If you wait for conditions to be perfect then you may never get around to it.
• Don’t know where to start – Sometimes our imagination gets the better of us and a good idea can seem overwhelming. There are so many things you could do that you don’t know where to begin. If you’re not sure where to start, just start doing something. Once you get going you’ll figure it out.
• Too busy – Are you really that busy that you can’t follow your dreams? If you really want something surely you can find the time somewhere.
• Laziness – This is often the case but we kid ourselves that it is one of the other reasons.

It’s fine to start with a dream or a goal as something you want to achieve in the future. Just don’t let it sit there forever. Unless you get started, you’ll never become successful. The secret of getting ahead is getting started!

What is it that you’ve been putting off for the future? What’s stopping you from getting started on it now?

Image: Wikipedia