Notes on doing it — Day #364: Just warm up

Having a hard time getting started on that thing you should be working on? Try warming up.

Photo by Anastasia Hisel on Unsplash

Just like the hardest part of going for a run is getting out of the door, so is composing the first few sentences when it comes to writing. I guess that’s pretty natural. I mean, just like running you have to warm up.

Therefore I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself when it comes to writing these intros. Once I’m warm I can always go back and edit them. But I can’t just go from 0 to 100 within a few taps on my keyboard. Or in any other areas of life really. And that’s one of the lessons I have learned from writing these daily articles for nearly a year now. It’s not the output that matters when it comes to shifting your attention towards a new task. Not initially at least.

When it comes to any kind of practice or work, starting is the most important thing. You won’t get anywhere if you don’t start. So make it easy to get started. Be patient. Don’t expect anything from your first attempts at whatever it is you’re doing. Just spend some time with your craft. Warm up those muscles, whatever they are; creatively, intellectually or physically.

You can almost always go back and dial in your first first shots. Unless you never take them.