No. 01 | Seven ways to start

1) Start with an invocation.

My cheese monster will never be satisfied.

2) Start immediately.

“Inspiration is perishable.” ← One of my favorite micro-essays in the book ReWork. I’ve learned that if I don’t act on an exciting idea right away, I probably never will.

3) Start with a class.

I’ve gotten a start on lots of things by signing up for a class or workshop. Guitar. Bike repair. Soldering. Information architecture. Registering for, attending, and/or paying for a class makes the sunk cost fallacywork on your behalf.

4) Start with the name.

In my work life, I aim to be thoughtful about things like meeting names and project names. Lots of stuff is easier if you start with the right name (and much harder if you start with the wrong one).

5) Start with numbers.

I’ve been recording lots of personal data this year. Hard to appreciate how far you’ve come if you don’t know where you started. Tracking stuff like how far I’ve run, how many books I’ve read, and how many words I’ve written has helped me move forward with my goals.

6) Start by moving your fingers.

“It’s not your brain that makes the clackity noise, it’s your fingers.”

7) Start with a song.

When I am staring down a Very Big Day, I like to do vocal warm-up exercises in the morning. YouTube is good for this. I find it calming. And having a relaxed voice and being able to speak with ease can be a big confidence boost.

Originally published as issue 01 of my 7×77 newsletter project.