Why is it that we struggle to start anything of substance?
What are the blockers stopping us?
There is a quote which says, “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great!”
And beginning something is always the biggest struggle. However, we need to understand that we don’t need to be perfect to start, just beginning in “some” cases is the key, and we work out the rest afterwards.
There are several factors why we choose to procrastinate. Here are a few…
- The Fear Factor:
- Fear of Failure: People worry the project won’t be good enough, they’ll be judged, or they’ll waste their time/resources. Starting makes the possibility of failure real. Even though failing isn’t final unless you stop and never go again.
- Fear of Success: Less common, but some fear the changes success might bring (more responsibility, higher expectations), so they don’t want that hassle.
- Fear of the Unknown: Starting something new involves uncertainty. Sticking with the familiar (even if it’s unproductive procrastination) feels safer.
- Overwhelm & Lack of Clarity:
- The Task Seems Too Big: The project’s sheer scale can be intimidating, leading to paralysis. Where do you even begin?
- Unclear First Steps: A major barrier is not knowing what the very first action should be. People get stuck in planning or analysis paralysis instead of doing.
- Decision Fatigue: If starting involves making too many initial choices, people might put it off to avoid the mental energy required.
- Perfectionism:
- Waiting for the “Perfect” Time/Conditions: Procrastinators often tell themselves they need more information, better resources, or a clearer head before starting. This “perfect moment” rarely arrives.
- All-or-Nothing Thinking: If they can’t do it perfectly, they don’t want to start at all. The pressure to meet impossibly high standards prevents taking the first step. It doesn’t matter if you make some mistakes, as long as they are not terminal. They are just learning points.
- Lack of Motivation or Connection:
- Task Aversion: The project might seem boring, tedious, or unrewarding, especially in the initial stages. The immediate gratification of procrastination (e.g., scrolling social media) is more appealing than the delayed reward of project progress.
- Not Connecting with the “Why”: If the underlying reason or benefit of the project isn’t clear or compelling, motivation to start will be low.
- Energy & Mindset:
- Low Energy/Fatigue: Sometimes, it’s hard to muster the physical or mental energy to tackle something new.
- Fixed Mindset: Believing abilities are fixed can make people hesitant to start tasks where they might struggle or reveal perceived weaknesses.
In Conclusion:
We all procrastinate because of some of the reasons above, and everything “new” has unknown elements, which can bring up slight internal fears. It is there even if we don’t always acknowledge it as a fear. This can stop us.
So don’t beat yourself up if you are not starting, take a look at why you are not beginning and see whether the fears are justifiable, or just an element of “lack of information” which can be a fear in itself.
If it is just a lack of information, make it a point to break it down to it’s most minor component and decide whether you have to investigate further to get the clarity you need, or whether you can take a slight leap of faith and go for it anyway and resolve it once you have started.