Purpose & Poetry

In a world drowning in an abundance of information, more knowledge is rarely what we need to start a new habit, project, goal, or transition in our lives.

But fear and perfectionism love to hide behind the excuse of not knowing enough, not being ready.

If you look at the items you most avoid on your to-do list, you will likely realize that you do know how to do them, but you’re avoiding them because there’s an element of discomfort or stuckness you feel.

There are many ways to work through that stuckness or discomfort, and “inner work” is often about familiarizing yourself with the landscape of your psyche so you can navigate your mental terrain more effectively.

That being said, one of the easiest ways to work through that stuckness is to find the smallest possible action you can take to break the inertia and build momentum and confidence. For example, if you’ve been overwhelmed at the thought of going to the gym and lifting weights, you can take a 5-minute walk today. If you have a pile of laundry to sort, you can just do a few items every time you walk past it. You can figure out what you want to say to the person you’ve been avoiding or the decision you've been putting off by starting with what feels clear so far.

You can apply this technique from the smallest to the most complex issues you’re facing in your life.

If you wait for the perfect moment to start, you may never start.

If you wait to feel ready, you will always find something new to worry about and fewer reasons to feel ready.

The remedy to overthinking and perfectionism is imperfect action.

The thing you’ve been waiting to do: get started on it today. Do it scared.