The simple answer is just start. The better answer is reduce friction.

There are a lot of things we want to start.

Going to the gym routinely.
Reading daily.
Building a business.
Etc.

The common advice I got was just get started.

Action at the start is more meaningful than information.

We have all the information we need to take the first step.

Now, we just need to do it.

But, just doing it is hard.

Why? Because there is friction.

Friction from our environment. This could be in the form of people, tasks, norms, etc.

Anything that prevents us from taking that action is a form of friction.

I want to start waking up at 5:30am in the morning.

So, instead of the simple advice of just start getting up, I should start asking what is preventing me from starting.

Because the reality is that I could have started yesterday.

But, I didn’t.

I could have started today.

But, I didn’t

The answer is simple here.

It’s that I am not going to bed on time.

So, now I set bedtime goals rather than wakeup goals.

The friction isn’t waking up, it’s going to bed.

What makes me go to bed late? The things I do in the night. Usually group-related work.

So, I need to start scheduling earlier in the day and leaving the ends free for individual work. This is often the exact opposite of how I structure my days.

No wonder it’s hard to change. There’s a whole lot of friction around getting started.

Bottom-line? The problem isn’t about getting started. It’s about what isn’t letting you get started. Master that, and master the goal.