There’s so much going on these days, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Have you ever faced a difficult task or goal only to shift focus to something else?
I encounter this challenge every morning. Putting a priority on my health, I try to get in a run before my family wakes up. But I don’t consider myself an avid runner, and sometimes it’s cold. Then the idea of running suddenly becomes unappealing. Then intrusive thoughts make their way in, like “I’ll feel better with a little more sleep, right?” On those days, I end up staying in bed.
The worst part is that I never feel good about it afterward. So I’ve figured out a way to outsmart my own mind. The secret is overcoming that initial lack of inertia. How can I go from stasis to movement? Now in the mornings, instead of a long run, I’ll convince myself that I’ll downgrade it to a quick, ten-minute walk.
Without fail, as I tie my shoelaces and step outside, the cold air gives me a blast of energy and, before I know it, I’m running.
How to Out-Maneuver Overwhelming Feelings
I’ve always wondered: Why does this happen? Sometimes a goal—like finishing a project, making an investment, or creating financial freedom—seems so big and daunting that it freezes you, overwhelms you, and feels too difficult or complex to start taking action.
The mind tries to trick you by saying that things can’t be done. It gets hyper-focused on what could go wrong, or it argues with you that it’ll take more energy than you have. When it’s all said and done, we get overwhelmed and take the path of least resistance: inaction. And we know that this cycle isn’t good for us.
The mind is a funny thing, and it can trick us into inaction. But I believe we can trick our mind in kind. Just figure out the very first, easy step that you can accomplish, like putting your shoes on for a run. As you make that first move, let momentum take over. As you complete more steps toward accomplishing your goal, you’ll be amazed at what you can do.
That first step is key, and it can be applied to any goal. For example: taxes. When it’s time to gather all my tax documents and prepare everything, I get another wave of “this won’t be fun” energy that encourages me to procrastinate as long as possible.
To get past that, I have to trick myself into one small movement at a time. I’ll tell myself that I don’t need to do everything at once and instead start by collecting a few files. Then, once I get started, I find myself totally immersed in getting my taxes finished. It’s like I turn into a machine who won’t rest until it’s done.
Build Momentum to Achieve Financial Freedom
Many of you have been thinking about investing or entrepreneurship for a while now, but maybe it’s been hard to get over the hump. The goal is there, but you don’t know where to begin. And I get that; it’s absolutely normal.
Well, maybe your first step isn’t jumping into a huge investment or filing for a business license. Instead, maybe your first step is to self-educate on one topic you’re interested in. Maybe that means joining a community, taking a course, reading a book, listening to a podcast, or reaching out to like-minded people to hear about their experiences. Small steps like these are less scary and will build your momentum toward investing and, eventually, help you reach financial freedom.
You’ll pick up steam. And once you get started and surround yourself with the right people, that initial investment usually happens sooner than you expect. Then the second and third investments come easier and, before you know it, you look back and wonder what took you so long to get started.
So, take your eyes off the big, difficult goal for just a moment and focus on the easiest step in front of you.
I’ve talked to so many people after buying their first short-term rental about what it took to get them over the hump. The answer is always the same: It was talking to this one person while attending that event. Getting started means making connections, a much easier step than diving into a huge investment.
And like a good run, taking one step usually leads to another. And who knows where those steps will take you? With careful and mindful planning, you’ll end up accomplishing your financial and personal dreams.
So, I want to encourage you to take that first step. If you’re in a position where you feel stuck but know what your goal is, take your eyes off the big, scary prize for just a moment. It may be holding you back. Instead, focus on the first step in front of you and just take that. And commit to it. Do that today, and then let today turn into this week, and then let this week turn into this month. And soon you’ll be off and running.
As your journey unfolds, stay connected with us so that we can celebrate and boost you along the way! Tap into the Passive Income MD community as part of your building momentum. Thanks for reading today, and we hope that you make things happen as you create your ideal life through multiple streams of income.
Peter Kim, MD is the founder of Passive Income MD, the creator of Passive Real Estate Academy, and offers weekly education through his Monday podcast, the Passive Income MD Podcast. Join our community at the Passive Income Doc Facebook Group.
