Excuses and obstacles that may prevent you from starting your project
Many of us have had great ideas for interesting projects, ideas that could change a situation or that could solve an issue. But we often struggle to take the first step to make it happen.
When discussing the execution of a personal project, internal obstacles can often be more challenging than external ones. We might have crucial ideas and solid plans, but there always seem to be reasons and excuses holding us back from pursuing them. Everyone can achieve what they aspire to if they overcome that hesitation and doubt, and start working directly towards their goals.
In this article, we'll look at some of these excuses and justifications that may prevent people from starting their projects, and how to overcome them.
Fear of Failure
Fear of failure can be categorized as the top obstacle preventing many people from starting their projects and attempting to implement their ideas. There's always a fear and apprehension that the person will fail in what they set out to do, leading to regret prematurely wasting time and effort on something that proves futile.
This topic has been extensively discussed in numerous studies and sources, with many books and lectures attempting to address this issue from various angles, delving into it in detail to overcome this type of fear. It's even been given various labels, such as "failure phobia," "fear of failure," and "atychiphobia."
You can delve deeper into this topic and explore it in more detail from specialized sources if you're interested. But what matters here is pushing yourself to overcome that hesitation and avoiding getting caught up in negative thoughts that focus on the results rather than the work itself.
We must understand that it's okay to fail in principle and that failure is part of the path to success. Through experiences of failure, we can rise and improve our skills.
If you examine the beginnings of most successful projects now, you'll find that they've gone through many stages of failure and many ups and downs before they became what they are today.
"No one can claim they haven't failed at something in their life, and you're no exception. Let go of the obsession with perfection; you're not and will never be perfect. Even the most successful individuals acknowledge they've failed, and they've failed more than others because only those who dare to fail boldly can succeed boldly. In fact, not failing is a negative indicator, indicating a lack of experience, negativity, and inertia within the comfort zone." - Al Jazeera
Conversely, contrary to what we're discussing, you might be surprised to learn that what prevents others from starting work isn't fear of failure but fear of success (Achievement Phobia)!
This condition is somewhat common and is greatly linked to individuals' levels of self-confidence, their readiness to be in the public eye and their apprehension about the scrutiny they'll face if they achieve success.
To overcome this fear in general, individuals must build self-confidence and develop strategies to deal with the pressures associated with success. Additionally, they can benefit from social support and counseling to help overcome these fears. We must realize that it's natural to feel some anxiety about anything before we do it.
Among the famous quotes attributed to Muhammad Ali, the renowned boxer, is: "The day I don't feel that anxiety before a match, I lose it."
Lack of Self-Confidence
Self-confidence is one of the most important factors that guide our thoughts toward creativity and excellence. Any deficiency in this aspect can cause us to miss out on many amazing opportunities and great ideas.
In the context of initial obstacles, lack of self-confidence is the condition that makes an individual doubt their ability to achieve their goals and reach a certain level of success. This lack of confidence can stem from negative past experiences or negative expectations about the future. Therefore, many wonder if they are qualified to face challenges and move forward toward achieving their dreams.
However, we must understand that self-confidence is not a fixed trait and is changeable. It can be built and reinforced over time, and confidence can be gradually increased by taking small steps. To achieve this flexibly, accomplish small tasks first. Ultimately, success is just a sequence of small steps towards a larger goal, and achieving big goals starts with mastering small things. Just don't rush for results.
Lack of Sufficient Time
"Lack of sufficient time" is one of the most common justifications that prevent people from realizing their dreams and turning their ideas into reality. However, you can allocate some time daily or weekly to work on the project gradually, as even a small effort can make significant progress over time.
To overcome this justification, try adopting such strategies:
1. Prioritize: Identify your main project or idea and make it a priority. You may need to reduce some daily commitments or organize your time effectively. But as long as you don't prioritize your idea or project, you won't take the first steps toward implementing it.
2. Utilize Break Times: You can work on your project during break times throughout the day, such as time between meetings or while waiting. At the very least, in this wasted time, you can accomplish even a small part of your action plan, make some contacts, reorder tasks, think about improving and enhancing the idea, and so on.
3. Allocate Fixed Time Weekly: Set aside a fixed time in the week to work on your project, whether it's early in the morning or late at night. This always proves beneficial in making slow progress towards the goal.
4. Collaboration/Partnerships and Delegation: If you're too busy with other work or there's family pressure, leverage the skills of others and try delegating some tasks to save time for your project.
But overall, let's be clear about this, "lack of sufficient time" is not a strong excuse for not achieving your goals. Through planning, organizing, and directing efforts toward your priorities, you can overcome this justification and start implementing the ideas and projects you aspire to. And remember, the lack of time is a justification that obscures creativity and execution.
Waiting for the Perfect Conditions
Some people believe that the conditions must be absolutely perfect to start a project, such as having a large budget or acquiring all the necessary skills, among other factors. This leads to indefinite procrastination.
In reality, most entrepreneurs launched their projects in much less-than-ideal conditions. Some even started from adverse circumstances and managed to overcome challenges and achieve success.
Countless examples abound of companies and individuals who began with unpromising beginnings but are now in successful positions. For example:
- Jack Ma: The founder of Alibaba started his career as an English teacher in China. He faced numerous financial difficulties and challenges before founding Alibaba, which became one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world.
- Uber: Uber started as a simple idea for carpooling among friends. The founders, Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, started the company in difficult economic conditions and faced significant legal challenges before growing to become one of the largest technology companies in the world.
- Microsoft: Bill Gates and Paul Allen started their software and personal computer company in a small room in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They faced many challenges and difficulties before Microsoft grew to become one of the largest technology companies in the world.
- WhatsApp: Jan Koum and Brian Acton started developing the WhatsApp messaging app in difficult financial conditions. Despite intense competition in the field of similar apps, WhatsApp succeeded in becoming one of the most popular messaging apps in the world.
You can find many such examples in this context for inspiration, confirming that favorable conditions or capital are not what you need to start. What you really need is to develop your skills and capabilities to be able to continue and successfully complete your project.
According to a report by Al Jazeera titled "You Can Start from Scratch," the author, Ivan Vasquez Islas, believes that you can be an entrepreneur even if you struggle to provide sufficient capital. You can start your project with a small amount or even without capital, but you will need certain skills and abilities to achieve your ambition.
Excessive Focus on Overthinking and Planning
The desire to achieve perfection and ensure that everything is meticulously planned can lead you to spend a long time in planning and overthinking. At the same time, you should realize that mistakes cannot be completely avoided, and learning from them is part of the process.
Many specialists and writers have extensively addressed this topic, offering several solutions and strategies that you can easily access through a simple search on the subject. However, what we recommend here is to adopt the principle of simplicity first in dealing with the execution of plans.
Don't start by thinking about all the complex details and aspects. Instead, begin with the simplest step you can take towards achieving your goal. You will find that starting makes things easier.
If you want to start your own business, start by creating a simple website or online store to showcase your products or services. Don't wait until you have all the perfect details.
If you plan to write a book, start writing the first page without worrying about formatting or spelling errors, and so on.
There's a beautiful famous saying that goes: "Just start the pursuit, and God will facilitate the means."
Read also:
✦ How to Start an Online Business in 10 Steps
And many other justifications may deter anyone from trying to start a project. Therefore, it's important to realize that these excuses and justifications are temporary obstacles that can be overcome when we take the first step, followed by the next step, and continue to do so with determination and perseverance.