7 Steps On How To Start The Project You’ve Been Slacking Off
Starting a project is probably the most complicated phase in achieving its objectives. Most people are paralyzed by the fear of starting because they don’t have a clear idea of what to start with.
These phrases that used to be used to boost themselves are now considered clichés. We had made them our mantras when their real meaning escaped us. For a long time, we kept repeating: “Nothing is impossible”. But did we believe it for a moment?
We think “Nothing is impossible” when in our head we repeat “I can’t”. Like a child who looks up at a box of cookies he dreams of making his own, we look up every day at the plans we have long thought of, at the life we have long dreamed of.
Paralyzed by fear, uncertainty, anguish and indecision, we do not, however, sketch out the slightest gesture. We even forget to begin. Rooted in the ground, we wait for the perfect opportunity, we hope.
To all those who have projects that are close to their hearts, here are the 7 steps to start them. Because…nothing is impossible when you know how to start.
1. The big question: Why start?
To the question of how to start a project, I will answer you with a more crucial question: Why start this project?
The answer to this question will be your leading motivation. If you need to write it in big letters on the wall of your bedroom or office to remind you: DO IT. Yes, do it.
Write it on all the media available to you and hang on to it. Hold on to those words. Hold on to your words and find the strength to fight when you reach for the abandonment.
Don’t just focus on the end goal. While this is a good thing, it can also be a factor in loss of motivation. Find the reasons why you want to start your project. This will force you to think about it, to reflect on it and, above all, to determine the impact you want to have.
Let’s play: Write down three to five reasons that explain your need to bring your project to life.
These reasons will be your essence, your fuel and your support throughout the project. Go ahead and write them down: NOW.
2. Establish your plan of attack
You already have your motivation to start? All right, then.
Now you can boast of knowing what you want. But the question of how to get there remains. Unfortunately, you won’t find the answer to that question by biting the end of your pen and looking up at the sky, no.
Go out and look for information. Reading this article is already a significant step. ?
Use the internet as a weapon. Go and meet your mentor. They can be competitors, celebrities, relatives. Observe their journey. How did they get there? What tasks did they probably put on their todo-list?
Project yourself into the near future and imagine a world in which you live from your project. Imagine and label the work you think you had to do to get there. Make a list of the actions you need to take to reach this world in which your project is a reality. This is your plan of attack.
Let’s play: A writer writes, a salesman sells, a programmer code. You, what do you have to do? You should now have something to fill out your own todo-list.
3. Build your dream team
If your goals seem too big and your dreams too ambitious, choose to surround yourself with strong and competent people who will take your project to the next level and fill in the gaps. A good team is a team that completes itself.
Build your dream team.
Look for passionate people who want to get involved, ambitious people who share your values and dedicated people who are able to transmit your values to your target.
Surround yourself with people who will have no difficulty starting with a small salary. Encourage communication and integration. Encourage respect and sharing. Keep your dream team motivated and united. It will be your greatest asset.
4. Build a better version of yourself
Say goodbye to laziness and procrastination as it is up to you as a leader to set an example for your dream team. Learn discipline and how to manage your time. Learn how to be a good leader.
Hack your daily routine. Every decision you make affects your productivity. So define a set of rules that you think will help you move towards your goal and stick to them. Commit to perform and you will.
Let’s play: Habits are regular actions that you do with little or no conscious thought. Cultivating good ones will help you to flourish. Of all your habits, which like pots and pans you drag along, which ones will make you the one you want to be born?
5. You are your best investment: Bet on you!
You can’t start a project without thinking about the root of war. Money! To the question of how and where to get financial aid, I will answer you by telling you to start with what you have. Even if the amount you have seems small, start with it.
Show you’re willing to do it. It’s harder to pitch an idea than an achievement. You’re probably thinking, “That’s expensive. I’m broke. It’s impossible.” No way! A life of misery is no excuse to give up on your dreams. You have to get over it because there are alot of opportunities out there. You just need to look further and be resourceful.
To get out of it, get rid of your filthy financial habits and invest in yourself. What you are going to invest in your project is not just money.
Similarly, money isn’t everything. There are those who have tons of it but don’t know what to do with it. What makes the difference is the brain behind the money. You are your greatest treasure.
The misery is no excuse to give up your dreams.
6. Trust yourself
Starting a project can be very stressful. This is when you may experience the impostor syndrome. You don’t feel legitimate. You ask yourself, “Why me?”
Starting a project is not only about convincing your target but also about convincing yourself. Doubts about your ability to steer your project arise from asking yourself questions.
You need to keep your head above water and accept stress, doubts, fears and uncertainty as part of the journey. It is normal to feel helpless in the face of the unknown. Don’t try to control what you can’t control. Trust the path that has brought you here. If this idea has come to you, it is because you have within you what it takes to make it happen. Instead of letting a negative internal dialogue undermine your motivation, engage by responding positively to it every time.
Let’s play: Self-affirmations allow the individual to develop self-confidence and promote emotional balance.
On a piece of paper, list everything you are proud of, describe the person you dream of being and what you like about the person you already are.
Once done, keep this piece of paper close to you at all times. It is up to you to look at it at the beginning of each of your days because the less negative your inner speech is, the more productive you are.
The important thing is to get started because this first step will help you define all the steps that follow. Let the world know that you exist. Believe in the impossible and dream big!
Decide what you need to do and go for it. Take the first step. It matters. It doesn’t matter if it’s a big or small step forward.
7. Finish what you started
The end of all things is better than the beginning, said the other. Starting a project is very admirable, but the biggest step in the process is the end. You have to see it through to the end, even if it is the journey that counts the most.
It is necessary to define the different milestones of one’s project, based on the final objective. Being able to evaluate the performance of the project allows you to know where you stand and to revise your strategy in case it is ineffective.
The reasons for abandoning a project vary from person to person, but generally speaking, they depend on the impact we perceive from our actions, our motivation and our good organisation. Focus on your final goal and make sure you don’t get lost.
The answer to the big question in step one will help you do this. If you have forgotten your vision in the long run, mired in daily and repetitive tasks, this is the time to remember why you started everything.
When you run out of energy, take a step back and come back for more. The key is perseverance. A wealthy businessman was once asked the secret to his success. He said: I didn’t give up.
