Three Steps To Getting Things Done

Even, and especially, if you don’t want to.

Have you noticed how often it turns out that the thing we most don’t want to do, when done, turns out to be the thing we most love?

It reminds me of Joseph Campbell’s quote, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”

I have had so many examples of this in my life.

There were times when I stalled and stalled, and finally, forced into doing what I didn’t want to do, I discovered that it was what I wanted to do all along.

Once, I stalled for months before going to a class that everyone was buzzing over.

I had reasons. They were pretty silly, and when looking back, it was mostly because I didn’t want to be following the “masses” who loved the class. Besides, I didn’t want to feel like an outsider on that first visit.

Finally, facing the ridiculousness of my reasoning, I went, promising myself that if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t go back.

After forcing myself to go, I became one of those people buzzing over it.

I smiled and laughed throughout the class because I was experiencing the abundant joy and feelings I used to have when dancing. Obviously, doing what I thought I didn’t want to do led to what I really wanted to do.

There are three steps to doing that thing that, deep down, we know we want to do— or sometimes must do—but we resist doing.

The first step—Start.

The first part is usually the hardest, especially when we have built up significant reasons for not wanting to do it.

We might feel overwhelmed by the ideas of what might happen if we do it, or perhaps we are overwhelmed by all that is required in our lives.

Almost every walking day, I have to force myself out the door. I remind myself of the good reasons I do it to get going. If it is only for exercise, I won’t go, because I don’t like exercise, so I have to remember other reasons.

However, remembering the other reasons will not be enough if I am not doing the physical things that must be done to get ready, like putting on my shoes, finding my hat, etc.

As in all things, starting means taking action. Just get moving in some small way towards the goal.

The second step—Continue.

Once I get started, the second part of doing begins—continuing. I often have to self-talk myself into completing the first half-mile. Then, the joy of walking kicks in, and from there, it’s easier.

Sometimes we stop too soon. Continue until the joy of doing it kicks in, because it will if you are doing what you want to be doing.

The third step—Finish.

The third step in getting something done is finishing it. Often, we don’t finish what we start.

Walking makes it easy to finish since I have to get home.

However, finishing other things is often not so easy.

Often, we get bored, distracted, overwhelmed, tired, or disgusted.

To finish, we have to start again. We must get past the ennui of not doing something and get into the joy of action.

We know we need to finish what we begin, but how often have you noticed that the little things it takes to finish a project go uncompleted, leaving it for someone else to do or simply remaining undone?

Important: There is a last step to notice.

Sometimes, we need the fourth step—Stop.

Sometimes, we start doing something and realize it is not something we need or should be doing.

In this case, continuing and finishing are conscious choices. We stop because it is not ours to do. Notice that I said conscious choice.

Here’s the obvious secret trick—just begin.

It doesn’t matter what you begin with. Just start moving past your perceptions of not being able to, or not wanting to, and do something, anything.

This acts just like priming the pump. Pump, pump, pump until the water comes out!

Enjoy the action of doing it! It can bring us that feeling of absolute joy when we discover we wanted to do it all along.

“Start before you’re ready. Do the work! A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor does the genius or the madman. It’s only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and overthink and hesitate.“—Steven Pressfield