January 7, 2012

You Can't Get Anywhere if You Don't Start

During the month of January, I'm participating in BlogHer's NaBloPoMo. The goal is to blog daily. Monday through Friday there are prompts if you need them, and the whole month has the theme of Beginnings.

Friday's prompt intrigued me: Do you wish the start of the year was in a different season? Which one?

Changing the season wouldn't change the concept. Beginnings are a fresh start, but I often place high expectations on new ideas. Every January 1st, I think about the year ahead. What do I want to accomplish? What can I do differently to make this year successful?

Ideas and goals sprout from many different directions. There's hope, and hope is an amazing motivator. The hard part is maintaining the energy when life starts throwing obstacles in your way.

No matter which season you pick as a starting point, you still have to start. The hardest part of any run for me is getting started. Most days, I put on my workout clothes first thing. I'm embarrassed to admit how many times I end the day in those very clothes without exercising. I promise myself I'll do a couple of tasks first and then go for a run. All of the sudden, anything looks better than running... laundry, dishes, cleaning house, writing posts.

The trick is to just do it. Go first thing, limit the excuses. But it's also making it through the first mile. My body needs time to adjust, and so does my mind. Usually, if can get past mile one, I find my zone. By the end, I'm glad I did it.

The start is all about mentally preparing. So really any month is a starting point, and new goals can start anytime. You just have to put one foot in front of the other.

10 comments:

Mena said...

This needs a qualifier: "FOR SOME PEOPLE the hardest part is starting". I'm great at beginnings. Where I fall on my nose is with the follow-through. We won't even talk about endings, discovering where I am going and how I am going to get there is part of the fun! So while it is great to inspire others to get started, we need to remember the work doesn't end with the first act. Indeed, for some of us, that's just when things get the hardest.

ShaunaKelleyWrites said...

I'm with Mena, I start things well. It's finishing that I struggle with! I am hoping to be better on follow through with 2012.

Tia Bach said...

You both make good points. As soon as I get home I'm changing the title: You can't get anywhere until you start. For me staring at the blank page is the hardest, but I get that everyone is different.

Thanks for stopping by.

Deniz Bevan said...

You're right, Tia - it doesn't matter when, but as soon as we start... Just gotta keep that butt in chair :-)

Tia Bach said...

Deniz, Now I need to write a post about keeping my butt in the chair. It could be a series of posts... Start, Stay, Sum (I'm trying to stay with Ss here!), Succeed. :-)

Thanks for visiting!

Em said...

So many of my friends struggle with the January blues. It's dark when you get up, dark when you leave work. It's dark in the day! I don't struggle with this as my birthday is 1st February so I spend the month looking forward to that!

Hope things are going well with you and well done on the daily blogging!

Sabrina said...

I always struggle in the beginning of things and later I say to myself "Now that wasn't so bad." The hardest part is the decision.

Good luck on your writing goals.

Natalie Hartford said...

Well said!!! Whether it's writing, eating healthy, working out - whatever - it's all about just doing it. Great post - got me all inspired to make my week goals happen! Thank you!

Ryan said...

I love the title of this post! It really says it all. Action is the key.

Tia Bach said...

Em, My middle daughter's birthday is 2/7, so I hope she feels the way you do about winter thanks to that!

Thanks, Sabrina!

Natalie, I agree. I don't know why I fight just sitting down and doing it sometimes! It's almost always less painful than I imagine. ;-)

Ryan, I have to give credit to my friend, Mena, who questioned (rightfully so) my original title. I like this one so much better, too, because it really does say what I wanted to say!

I really appreciate all of your comments!