The Kindness of Beginning

"The beginning is the most important part of the work."
― Plato

Recently, I have been involved in various conversations about beginning.  It can be so HARD to just begin --  a weight-loss program or a specific project or decluttering...  I have a college friend who has a very hard time with work self-evaluations, for example.

Things that we want or need to begin -- but don't -- loom large in our minds.  They take up mental space; they use up our energy.  Sometimes, the most kind thing that we can do for ourselves, and generally for others, is to begin.

But how to begin?  When I don't want to do something, one of the most effective strategies for me is to schedule a half an hour to start doing it.  Surprisingly, there are some things that we have spent hours thinking about that can be completed in half an hour.  Others take longer, but just beginning is progress.  Beginning a weight loss program, for example, can be so daunting, but we can always try it for a day.  And usually, nothing is as hard as we have made it out to be.

Many times, beginning can be deciding to take care of ourselves, to be kind to ourselves.  And usually by beginning whatever it is we want to do, we are also kind to those around us.