The first line of ANY daily email is the most difficult.

A blank screen is like a void.  A place of complete emptiness. 

Moving from that nothingness to something – anything, even a few words – is like starting to push a boulder up a hill.

Very tough.

And yet once this hurdle is out the way – once the words start to flow and my screen fills with my not-so-polished choice of words – the email picks up steam.

Every sentence I write from there helps it pick up even more.

And suddenly, like the boulder on the hill, the email reaches the top of the mountain and now is hurtling down the side, almost unstoppable under the weight of its own momentum.

It’s why whenever I get a new idea for one of these daily emails, I don’t just jot the idea down in my iPhone but I actually start writing the email whenever I can. 

The freshness of the idea and the spark which comes with it in the moment helps me push through that initial hurdle and turn a seed of an idea into something which is sprouting then & there.

Guess what?

I did it with this very email.

It’s 8.12am right now. I was brushing my teeth, almost ready to jump on a Lime bike and head to work, when the idea for this email came to me.

Quick as a flash I dumped my toothbrush and raced to my laptop to start typing the words you’re reading now.

I know I’ll need to head to the office in 8 minutes.  But that’s enough to get the bones of this email thrashed out and I can top & tail it tomorrow morning (which is now today – I wrote that bit yesterday. Still following?)

I guess what I’m saying is that it’s often that first step, first push, first attempt or first leap of faith which is the toughest hurdle.

Every step after is easier.

Not always easy mind you.  But easier.

My own experience of getting started is that my thoughts can take an activity I’d actually love to get stuck into and create so many doubts, fears, worries & concerns that it’s sometimes easier just to avoid that activity altogether.

I’m not just talking about daily emails now.

For instance:

When I asked for a work sabbatical a few years ago, I had to summon every last drop of courage & willpower I could find just to ask my boss the question.  I’d put off asking so many times and the doubts & fears had grown to such a degree that I remember my hands shaking and voice trembling when I finally did ask my boss.

While going on sabbatical was quite possibly one of the best moves I ever made, what I see now is that taking the plunge didn’t have to be such an intimidating & stressful experience.

Instead, taking an initial leap really can be a smooth, satisfying and stress-free process.

And that’s because our experience is shaped by our thoughts. 

So it all starts with us.

If there are fun, exciting or inspiring things you’d like to be up to but you’re hesitating over taking that first step, here’s where to go next:

https://waitinglist.followingfulfilment.com

That’s all for today.

 - Tom