I get it.
Trust me, it’s been there. I’m also starting new adventures, so I’m there with you.
It can be daunting to start something new. Perhaps you feel overwhelmed because of your lack of experience in managing projects. You are trying to get project management positions so that you can gain more experience.
Maybe you’re stuck in a career rut that is so hard to break out of because it takes too much effort.
Baby Steps
This is how I feel. I remind myself that no one can become an expert overnight.
Growing in any area is a process. Once you have asked the right questions, start to act. Even if you only do a little bit at first, take action.
It’s similar to achieving your fitness goals or any other worthwhile goal that requires a lot time and effort. It is easy to get discouraged and lose your motivation by trying to conquer the world in one day. If your expectations are not realistic, you will be discouraged and give up.
Instead, take baby steps.
I used to go to the gym every day and exercise for an hour. I decided that if I wanted to get in shape, I needed to be gung ho.
Here’s what happened
It was because of the amount of effort and time I put into it that I was less likely to do anything. I began to miss days and justified them by saying that I didn’t have enough hours, etc.
When I was studying for my PMP exam, the same thing happened to myself. I believed that I needed to study for hours on end if I wanted to achieve anything. However, it didn’t work out so well when it came to actually getting any studying done. You won’t make any progress if you expect everything to be perfect before starting.
Reasonable Expectations Lead to Consistent Action
Today, I am swimming laps for ten minutes. Because the time commitment is minimal, I don’t have to spend hours working out. It’s easier for me to hold myself accountable. I find it very inspiring to look back at the progress I have made compared to the old’ method.
The same was true for my PMP study. Instead of waiting until weekends to study, I drove 20-40 minutes each day to and from work with PrepCast. I was interrupted half the time and didn’t get any studying done for the week.
This approach has proven to be effective in many areas of life. I will accomplish my goals and actions if I set small, achievable steps. They can become a habit if they are small enough that they are not too painful to avoid.
What do you think? What about you?
