Morada Musings

Posts Tagged ‘paralysis by analysis’

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of
getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks
into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

– Mark Twain

Sometimes the most exciting, scariest, hardest thing in the world to do is start – school, friendships, dating, driving, work, marriage, parenthood… It doesn’t matter what the endeavor, when it’s new, and big, it can be daunting to take that first step.  Working with children and adults with ADHD over the past two decades, I’ve learned that one of the things they struggle with most is sequencing – seeing the pattern of things, connecting the dots.  They see the big picture – that’s what makes them great entrepreneurs, artists, and visionaries – but they have trouble with myriad parts.  Or maybe they just don’t have the patience to decipher them.    Either way, many people function in a similar way, excited by the grand idea but unable to figure out how to get started.  They are overwhelmed, stymied, spinning their wheels looking for a way in.  Or a way out!

To help those children, I learned to break things down into small bites, usually single steps.  I could not say “Go get ready for bed.”  They wouldn’t know what steps were involved, even if they’ve done it every night.  Nor could I say “Go brush your teeth, wash your face, get into your pj’s and get into bed and I’ll read you a story” and expect the whole routine to be done.  By the time they’d finish brushing their teeth, they’d have forgotten what came next.  It would take months of single steps being connected for them before they were able to remember “what comes next.”

Over the years, they eventually learn to do that kind of thing for themselves, with varying levels of success.  Those who go on to become entrepreneurs often bypass the struggle and hire highly organized, detail-oriented assistants (some are Virtual Assistants like me).  Others keep struggling, trying to put structure in place, even going so far as to make lists or use elaborate planner systems.  They become adept at capturing and recording information but never get any further than that.  They remain stuck, victims of “paralysis by analysis.”  Even when they know what needs to be done, often they can’t decide what the first step should be.  They could start here…but then again, maybe there would be better.  Unless…  This could go on for days, weeks, even months or years if what needs to be done is large or significant.

Over the years I must’ve said “Don’t worry about the end; just start!”  thousands of times.  I give you the same urging – figure out what needs to be done, map it out with whatever organizational product or tool that works for you but then start.  You can usually correct course, change directions even, at any number of steps along the way.   The end may be meaningful,  the destination important, but you’ll never get there if you don’t take the first, and then next, step.  So, get started!  And if you find you need help with the doing, give me a call.