The Key to Self-Starting
Is Not Doing It
I’ve spent most of my adult life learning about self-starting.
In my Professional Basketball Era, I had to figure out ways to get myself to do workouts I rarely wanted to do, especially because I was probably hurt, sick, or some combination of both.
In my Writing Era, I had to figure out ways to get myself to a laptop for writing I rarely wanted to do, especially because I was pretty sure that what I was writing sucked.
These experiences made me sympathetic to the perils of self-starting. They also taught me a lot about it, with the chief lesson being:
The key to self-starting is not doing it.
It takes almost as much energy to start as it does to do. In some cases, probably more. It’s like you have to be the architect and the construction worker—you have to design the building and build that sumbitch.
No matter your pursuit—running a business, writing a book, or trying to be a professional basketball player—there’s no escaping the doing. You’ll have to make the business plan, write the words, or shoot the jumpers. Since the doing is integral, our only option is to alleviate the stress related to starting. This is where systems—what I call processes—come into play.
We have to build processes that happen whether we like it or not: habits, rituals, and routines.
Lots of people get lost at this step, especially if they’re leaving a job to pursue something on their own. They’re infatuated with their newfound freedom and it’s hard for them to imagine adding structure to their lives on purpose.
The harsh truth: when you’re out on your own, you’ll need more structure than ever. The question is how to build it.
The best answer I’ve come up with is other people. Friends who’ll hold you accountable. Family who’ll ask how you’re doing. A coach who will call you out when you’re lying to yourself. Maybe even the barista at your favorite coffee shop, who’s rooting for you to succeed whether you know it or not.
Your friends, your family, your coach, that barista—they want to help. So let them. Outsource your willpower.
It’ll be hard enough to do all that doing. Let someone else help with the starting.