Are you ever wondering how you can cultivate your interest and learn how to start where you are? Check this and get some ideas about it.

“Okay, one more piece of pizza, and I will start my diet on Monday. I promise!” 

“I cannot just start a business! Everything needs to be in place first – I need this specific amount of funding, and my children need to be teenagers before I can dedicate time away from them.”

“I cannot start learning a new language now. I’m too old and barely have free time as it is!”

There’s always a reason not to do something. Want to start working out? Maybe in the summer when the weather is better. But then summer comes around, the heat is too sticky for your liking, and you’d instead want to work out in a gym, but the fees are too high. So you decide to wait around for their discount season. And so on and so forth. Why not just start?

Just Start

Right now, in this exact situation you’re in – just start. I promise you it sounds scarier than it actually is.

I found myself needing to be an expert in something before pursuing it. A perfect example of this is gardening, as this activity that pushed me to adopt the ‘Just start’ mindset. I researched plants for hours, read Facebook groups on how to make sure we can keep plants alive, and I went to the store to buy my first plant only to come back home empty-handed because I was “simply not ready.” But I was only not ready because I told myself I wasn’t. Eventually, I just threw my hands up, decided to wing it and bought a houseplant. As expected, it soon died. But I don’t regret making that move as I now know where I went wrong and won’t act the same when taking care of my next plant. 

Whether it is starting a savings account, learning Spanish, or starting a new venture, the trick to maximize any interest is just to start the journey. One of the most challenging parts of this is to do whatever you can to not get overwhelmed. An excellent way to avoid this is to take baby steps, but steps nevertheless. Ask yourself, “What is the easiest way I can begin this?” It does not have to be a perfect way, just something you can build and improve on as you go along. I try to have a plan, no matter how vague, when trying something new for the first time. Creating such a plan generally involves asking myself what I wish to achieve at the end of it and tangible ways to reach that goal. Want to start gardening? Buy a plant! Want to learn Spanish? Join a class, read a book, or download an app. It can be that simple. 

Phone a Friend

Another great tip to get started in your passion is to ask a friend. There’s a lot of support in having a community and having someone else share their successes and failures makes the thing you wish to pursue a lot more realistic and attainable. When I decided to go ahead and buy a plant, I asked my plant-loving friend what kind of plant she would recommend and where to get it. What seemed like a tiny question pointed me towards the start plants section in Home Depot, a magical little corner of the store that I didn’t realize existed until then. Without her knowledge, I would be jumping from nursery to nursery to find affordable, high-quality plants. 

The community you look to does not have to be a physical one, especially in these times! Being in a virtual space can broaden your view on your interest tenfold! Let’s take Facebook groups, for example. It’s an interactive platform where you can ask any question you’d like. You’re not only almost guaranteed to get a reply, but it’s one from another part of the world where their education on the topic might be more detailed or innovative than your close circle. 

My advice is simple at the end of the day – just start. Don’t overthink yourself out of doing something you’re intrinsically passionate about. As the wise Nelson Mandela said, “You never lose. Either you win, or you learn”. It is okay if it doesn’t work out because you’ll come out of it a more affluent and more knowledgeable person. Take the leap!

What’s your best advice for getting started on a new project or tackling a new challenge?

Tags: community, cultivate, dream big, dreams, exploring, friends, goals, individual success, interest, investing, just start, learning, new start, passions, research, Start, tips, tips and tricks