Get Unstuck: How to Take the First Step

Seen this movie before?

One of the realities that don’t bite about being a grown-up is the ability to recognize patterns. This can of course be useful in informing choices and saving the time that could be wasted on fruitless pursuits, but when we see a pattern repeating in a way that keeps us from moving forward? Not so great. The good news: You need not give in to letting inertia take hold of your narrative. If you’re struggling to get started, we’re here with some Verse approved kicks in the pants.

Get to the next tree.

We love a good book rec, and Deep Survival was a good one. In one of its well-spun tales, a stranded man must climb down a mountain; instead of thinking about the enormity of the task, he just focuses on making it to the next tree. Our takeaway? Too often we get so overly focused on the end game—and our own perfectionist ways—that we fail to just take a step. So, go forth. It’s only one tree.

Set an expiration date.

We have found that starting marathon training is easy when it comes after you’ve signed up for a marathon—especially one with friends (hey, productive peer pressure). Gretchen Rubin calls most of us “obligers,” so having an external accountability mechanism is a big help. Whatever it is, set a date and preferably get going with another person to answer to. Once your date’s in stone, revisit our piece on planning backwards for your just-in-time tactics. 

Visualize world peace (or what you’re after).

If you’ll allow us another marathon training metaphor, part of training is visualizing how you’ll feel when you cross that finish line at 26.2. No matter your pursuit, the same advice applies: Envision what “done” will feel like. What will be different? How sweet the reward? Be as specific as you can to help your payoff align with your mental preview. 

More carrots, please.

There’s a reason your parents used to bribe you with treats: they work! So feel free to give yourself a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow; there’s no shame in that game. And why wait for the big finish itself? You can add in lots of mini rewards along the way. Work on your task for an hour, treat yourself to a funny podcast (we recommend Smartless). A good story never hurts.