“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
Figuring out where we are trying to go can be difficult.
You often see the posts saying, “Just get started!”
Sometimes, the objective in front of you, or the goals you set, seems too large to overcome.
I was in the mindset nearly twenty-five years ago after returning home from a Japan exchange program at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan.
After my return, life in my hometown in Michigan just seemed too small. I wanted to move back to Japan permanently and start a career. My exchange program was a very safe way to experience Japan. The exchange program handled everything. All I had to do was sign up for the program, and boom, I was living in Japan for nine months as a student.
Moving to Japan was a completely different story. It meant leaving a good-paying job in the US. There was no specific support structure to help me do what I was attempting to do. It was overwhelming, and my ability to take action and move forward was faltering.
I sat down and started to write out a plan. At first, it was a high-level action plan of what I knew and did not know. The critical part was establishing a timeline and an action plan. I selected a date to leave the USA and the arrival date in Japan. I worked backward from those dates to establish a plan for what I wanted to accomplish before traveling to Japan. I also wrote down and developed a plan for what I wanted to achieve when I arrived in Japan.
Initially, I thought I was going to head back to Japan permanently on the next flight I could catch. This became so overwhelming that I could not bring myself to purchase the ticket. Fear of many unknown variables was holding me back.
So…
I started writing.
I started with a basic timeline of things I needed to accomplish.
When I started writing things down, a clear path started to become visible to me. A large barrier I thought I could not cross became smaller and easier to manage milestones. I even realized it would take two trips: one to interview and find a job and a second to move back after securing a job and obtaining a visa.
My Japan adventure led to twenty-two years of success and additional adventures across Asia Pacific.
I almost did not go—the fear of the barriers I had to overcome practically overwhelmed me.
Putting pen to paper helped me define a plan I could execute.
That small effort has dramatically defined the man I am today.
It made me the father I am today because that is where I met my wife and where our two boys were born.
Writing, This Is The Way
Writing down your thoughts can be the first step toward taking action.
It involves organizing your thoughts, setting a clear plan, and documenting your goals. You are converting the abstract into concrete words, which helps you clarify your objectives and outline what you need to do to achieve them.
Writing things down turns your dreams and intentions into something more tangible and actionable.
Writing is an investment or commitment to yourself, a testament to your worth. It becomes a motivational tool, a reminder of what you are trying to achieve, and a form of accountability.
When you write things down, you create an increased sense of accountability, greatly increasing the likelihood of following through with your intentions.
Writing also reinforces the idea of improving daily by helping you break down large tasks into smaller, manageable ones. When we write down each step required to complete a specific task, it becomes easier to put the right systems in place to complete it. It reduces the feelings of being overwhelmed and increases the chances of overcoming your challenges.
Writing takes vague ideas in your head and transforms them into a structured plan. It bridges the theoretical and the first steps required to take action and execute.
I want to say get off your butt and get started, but first, sit down and start writing!
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I would love to know more about your thoughts on this subject. If you would like to have a deeper discussion, don’t hesitate to contact The Day Warrior.
