Each of us has things that purpose is driving us to do. It may be a new job, end a relationship, start a relationship, lose weight, finish a project, or change the world. One of the most challenging things to do to accomplish anything is actually to start the project. Once you start, there is no telling what may happen, but at least at the end of it, you will know. To start is a simple process we develop that makes sense. You may be able to use it for yourself. It sounds so simple to accomplish anything create steps to guide you on the way. Write down what you think the process should look like, step by step. Even if you are not sure, write it down.

The Start: Making the List

Starting to make a list can be the most challenging part of the process for several reasons. First, we all have fear inside us. A voice that tells us things will never work; we are stupid; it will never work out. This voice is your ego, trying to protect you from suffering. Of course, to start anything, these thoughts need to be put to the side, and the fear has to be released. Let each of your situations speak for themselves, allow the lessons they have for you to sink in, and the process begins simply by making a plan of the steps you logically think you will have to take to find success.

Start with the most straightforward part of the process. If you are looking for a new job, then step one is to create a list of possibilities for what you want to do. Not just one or two but ten different things that you might want to do for money. That is step one, putting them down on paper. If losing weight is your goal, create a list of things you can do that involve eating healthier and exercising more. List the steps that you believe you will have to take and then start at the beginning and accept them.

Evaluating the list and readjusting

Of course, you will not know everything right off the bat, and that is OK. That is a part of the learning process and of having a growth mindset. You are not going to know everything, and part of the fun is learning along the way. You can readjust, make changes, find out what works for you, and bring the results you want. Continual evaluation and adjustment will be necessary, and doing this should not be seen as a detriment.

The other type of mindset is a fixed mindset, and that is one where a person needs to know everything or at least pretends to. The person with a fixed mindset would instead continue on the wrong path rather than admit that they didn’t know what they were doing. A fixed mindset believes either you have the talent to do something or don’t, and effort should not be part of the equation. The aim is always a part of the equation. Fear of failure and others’ thoughts stems from possessing a fixed mindset and staying away from the growth mindset.

Start the Process

To begin with, we should always start with the most straightforward steps. Decide what you need and organize it most efficiently. Take action, evaluate, take another action, and then another. Get quiet and write down the logical steps you think you will have to take to do something. Then start taking action. The alternative is someplace I have been. In limbo, afraid to start and afraid to stay where you are. In that situation, you are just going to be scared. An action is a cure for fear always. Start the process and allow what is going to happen to exist.

Enjoy each step along the way and the adventure and learning that they bring you. Grow with them, and don’t be limited by a fixed outlook on yourself or the expectations you have about life. Your ultimate destination is not the value; it is the journey that provides the right stuff for you. The most challenging thing in the whole process is knowing what you want. Once you know that, you can begin to add that to your life through lists. And there is only one way to go, one step at a time, following your list.

“The list is the origin of culture. It’s part of the history of art and literature. What does culture want? To make infinity comprehensible. It also wants to create order.”— Umberto Eco, renowned Italian author.