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There is no period in a human’s life that they waste more time than when they are planning to start. In writing this piece, procrastination seems like the wrong word for it. It denotes that you want to start, know you should start, maybe even know how to start, but can’t muster up the willpower to do it.
This issue is more complex. Yes, there will be times when you want to start but fail to because of a need to relax and take a step back. There will far many more times, though, when you want to start but don’t know where to begin.
I would argue that for most of the things that truly matter in your life, you’ll have no idea where to begin. You have a notion of a grand project, new identity, or intense challenge, but you don’t know where to start. It’s unmarked territory. You’re leaving the map.
This is a great sign. Simply by leaving the map of what’s been done before for a worthwhile destination, you are separating yourself into the 1%. How many people want to learn to code but don’t know where to start? How many people want to do a triathlon but don’t know where to start? Start a blog? Found a startup? These aren’t simple for the outsider.
To the insider, the person who has already done it, it’s easy. They know exactly how to start. They did it, messed up, and learned from their mistakes. But for the beginner, it’s incredibly complex. You get…