Build Momentum

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This will be a quick one - I promise!

The trick to successful habits and also getting shit done is two fold:

• Get started
• Build momentum

The getting started part is (from my experience) often the easiest thing to do;

You can easily:

• Step outside for that first step of a walk
• Spin up a new repo for a side project
• Open a new document to start writing
• etc

Often the barrier to entry or to starting something is actually lower than we think it is.

The trickier part here is building momentum.

Building momentum means following through from that start with a second, third, fourth, etc action, e.g. taking another step after the first one, sitting back down to continue work on that side project, writing the second page in that document.

The key insight here is not just that you should keep doing work - many have also noted that it's not the joy/dopamine that should be driving you to continue working on something, but instead it's putting in the effort even when you are tired of something.

It's far easier to take that 10,000'th step when you've already taken 9,999 of them.

Each time you continue working on the thing (whatever that thing is), it gets easier - you're training your mind and body that it's a routine and you'll start to pick it up that much easier as well.

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