When a runner is getting ready to run a race – whether a sprint or a marathon — the runner typically has a routine or series of actions to prepare for that race. There is, of course, a lot of conditioning leading up to race day. A couple of hours before the start, a runner might pop a few Advil and drink a lot of water. He might eat a hearty breakfast to provide the body with adequate fuel. Then shortly before the start, he might check the laces on his running shoes. He might also do a lot of stretching and warm-up exercises. When the race is about to start, the runner will probably line up at the starting line, get into a running position, and listen for the countdown, whistle or buzzer that signals to go. Each of those actions work as tiny cues to get the body’s adrenaline pumping and prime the runner to go swiftly from inertia to movement.
Mark Twain once said that the secret of getting ahead is just getting started. Going from inaction to action is probably the hardest part of getting just about anything done. It takes the most energy to go from total inactivity to motion – whether that motion is simply thinking through a problem or physically acting on it. A major factor in procrastination is simply the inability to start. Once the person begins, getting a project, task or job done becomes significantly easier. If starting is the hardest part of any job, then perhaps one key to success is simply in identifying ways to help launch the starting process Continue reading