How to Become a Self-Starter

How to Become a Self-Starter

Gina is a self-described "young professional" who's ambitious about becoming a great event planner. She asked me, "What can I do to become a 'self-starter' and mean it? I'm putting off a big marketing project and looking for motivation to get going."

We can all relate, Gina, even us not-so-young professionals. Here are a few ideas that I hope will jumpstart your marketing project:

1. First of all, consider your motivation, or lack thereof. Sometimes things you're avoiding aren't actually worth doing. In that case, resistance is important information for you. If you do confirm that it is worth doing, then try to reframe the task in terms of the long-term benefits that do motivate you. For example, instead of thinking of this as a "marketing project," try thinking of it as a "triple my income project."
2. Break it down. Sometimes projects just feel too overwhelming in scope. I remember asking a UT colleague, who had written a 600-page textbook, how he got started and got through it. I never forgot his reply. He said, "I thought of it as one chapter--the one I was working on at the moment." So break down your project into small, finite pieces that feel manageable.
   
3. Schedule it in advance. Isn't it easier to exercise when you have a class you've signed up for, rather than squeezing it in from day to day? That's the beauty of schedules. They give you a support structure, so you don't have to keep re-committing.

What other advice do you have for Gina?

photo by Jon_Marshall