Nobody likes being wrong. Though mistakes are a potent tool for learning, incorrect decisions often have consequences, ranging from the practical (paying a fine) to the deeply psychological (questioning one’s self-worth). These factors do not make for a fun experience. As Martina Navratilova remarked, Whoever said, “It’s not whether you win or lose that counts”, probably lost.

As a result, we analyse. If we begin a new activity – say running, or learning how to code – we invest time to research the topic, consider other’s opinions and form our own conclusions. We only take action when we feel like we know what we are doing.

Yet while this seems natural, there are two issues with this.

First, the world we live in is filled with so much information that trying to understand everything is a daunting task. It can be easy to end up in an endless spiral of opinions – helped no less helped by the addictive nature of social media – with no clear answer at the end.

Secondly, and this sounds obvious, analysis inhibits action. If you’re considering getting a Garmin watch vs. an Apple watch for exercise, you’re not exercising. If you’re reading reviews on what the best course is to learn Java, you’re not coding.

As a result, we end up with an analysis paralysis where a fear of failure inhibits action. In some cases, this paralysis becomes so bad that the actual task at hand never begins and we are frozen in this endless feedback loop of considerations.

What is the antidote to this? I’m no expert, but here’s a suggestion:

Just start.

One of my biggest realisations this year is that action leads to motivation, not the other way around. It’s easy to think that we must be first ready enough to start something before we can have a good go at it. But honestly, I’ve found time and time again that if you just start, you’ll find that you’re already ready.

This idea can be scary. It requires discipline and often requires one to deal with failure an uncomfortable amount of times. But the great thing about taking a little step is that:

1. We still learn, as experience is a great teacher; and
2. This small step creates momentum for more steps in the future.

Of course, this idea can’t be applied to all domains. Some areas, like investing in a property or choosing a career path, require a certain amount of consideration so one won’t regret the decision later on. Yet, in most cases it doesn’t really matter in which direction you move, just so long as you move. It all starts with that first step.