“Work finally begins when the fear of doing nothing exceeds the fear of doing it badly.”
Alain de Botton
Perfection is the antithesis of inspiration — it prevents you from getting started.
The trick to getting going is to do it badly. That’s right: Be intentionally messy.
Producing crap isn’t the end-goal. The point of taking small actions is to create enough momentum to feel like we’re winning.
What sustains persistence are small improvements. You’re looking to go from one pushup a day to two the next week. You’re trying to walk five thousand steps a day before graduating to six thousand.
You’ll need to write one-hundred words day after day before developing the muscle to get down two-hundred words on a consistent basis. By the way, there is no such thing as writer’s block!
Do small things to get started — no matter how poorly — to avoid second-guessing yourself and to prime the motivational pump.
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7 replies on “If you’re struggling to get started, do it badly”
[…] Of course, some writers believe the blank page is non-existent. They suggest that one should write poorly until they produce something of substance. […]
Will take your advice 😉 I just needed to read this
[…] Perfection is the antithesis of inspiration; it prevents you from getting started. If you’re struggling to get started, do it badly. […]
I think, with this advice, one can accomplish absolutely anything. The idea of embracing Imperfection has changed my entire outlook on ambition. I love this post.
Thanks Ali — what are you aiming for?
Consistency is key in all things! It is definitely easier to grow a habit than to jump in at your max with no build up
For sure. The goal is to do things slowly and with purpose. To quote Gladwell: “We need to be a little bit more tortoise-y and a little less hare-ish.”
wbaum.blog/smallthings