Theodore Roosevelt said that we either wear out or rust out. Getting busy is important. You can’t think of an obstacle away. Start somewhere, so get started now. Often, the best solutions won’t present themselves until you make a few efforts.

You can only make progress if you’re doing something:

1. Realize that getting started is often the hardest part.

Whether it’s cleaning out the shed, doing your income taxes, or solving world hunger, nothing happens until you take action. In most cases, sooner is better than later.

2. Keep moving.

How many times have you started with great enthusiasm, only to quit after a short period? A little progress can be a dangerous thing. It’s easy to become excited after taking those first few steps, but overcoming obstacles requires ongoing effort.

• Do something each day to move beyond your challenge. Once you have a small amount of momentum, avoid allowing it to slip away. Keep pressing.
• Keep thinking while you’re moving. You can walk and chew gum at the same time. You can think and plan while you’re taking action.

3. Increase your effort.

It’s easy to be busy and get little accomplished. Look around your workplace. Most employees have the routine down to a science and get started now. Keep your head down, shuffle some papers, check email while no one is watching, and wait for 5 o’clock.

• When did you last put your best effort into anything? We’re so used to operating at 10%, we’ve forgotten what 100%, or even 50%, feels like anymore.
• Providing you’re taking intelligent action, an increase in effort will increase your results proportionately.

4. Understand that the circumstances will never be perfect.

There will always be some aspect of the current situation that’s less than ideal. That you’re not 100% ready isn’t a viable excuse for failing to take action.

Momentum is self-created. Get started so you can get finished.

“Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities erode confidence, and the downward spiral begins.”

                                                  – Charles Stanley