Whether it’s a new weight loss regimen, or a university project – why is it so hard to start something new?
Click start to play today’s Spell It, and create the word “beginning” with the letters provided.
One of the biggest challenges to working on a task, is often the transition to working on it. It usually involves taking a deep breath and jumping from something comfortable to something uncomfortable. Once we’re through that moment, we can focus on the work itself, but first, we need to develop the elusive skill of transitioning.
According to a May 2018 report in the US-based business news website Harvard Business Review, there are a few steps you can take to ensure you get started on whatever you’ve been delaying.
First, identify the transition point. For instance, if you have to start writing a report, the transition point would be sitting down and writing the first word. Or if you have to have a difficult conversation with someone, the transition point would be to pick up the phone and dial their number.
Next, make the decision. Set a time and place where you will get started, and here’s the important bit: No take-backs! You have to go through with.
Third, work on your emotional courage. Do you have it in you to move through the emotional turmoil and difficult feelings without stopping, so you can get through to the other side? It’s a vital skill, and one that can be developed, for gaining traction on virtually anything. But beware, you will have to stay strong. Some things that may pull you back into inaction are self-sabotage (where you might suddenly have the irresistible urge to check your email or social media instead of going ahead with your transition) and insecurity (the little voice in your head saying you can’t do this).
The penultimate step is to follow through, and push through the noise in your head so that you can do what you need to do.
And finally, repeat these steps every day. When you do, you’ll see that you’re sticking to the fitness regimen you began, or your report has grown organically by a few pages. And before you know it, you’ve finished your task, and have new skills in your arsenal to help you the next time you begin a new venture!
Do you have difficulty beginning new tasks? Play today’s Spell It and tell us at games@gulfnews.com.
