begin to evolve
In his post, how can people achieve so many things in life?, Himanshu asks why some are lifelong learners while others struggle to begin. Below are my thoughts on how to begin. As someone who also struggles with this, feel free to take it all with a grain of salt.
Value your health, particularly your mental health. Ensure your brain - your control center - works well before taking on tasks. Seek whatever help you find most beneficial, so you can arrive at tasks as your best self.
To achieve anything, start. Application suffices where thinking does not. Trying to write first or ride a bicycle teaches far more than pondering the process. Trying helps offload thoughts which leads to applied feedback from yourself and others. Every book read was once a book started. Begin. Keep moving forward. If things get tough, you can always return gracefully later.
Make tasks as easy to complete as possible. For overwhelming or impossible tasks, change your technique. Break them down or modify them so they become achievable. Untangle asks to see whether they are conducive to success or explained well enough. If your tasks don't address your needs, use what works instead.
Aim for self-improvement over comparison with others. Set personal goals out of self-fulfillment, not others' exceptional standards. Even for tasks resembling free work, acknowledge your interest in it and the motivational momentum it can provide.
Engage tasks to show how trivial preconceptions can be. Starting tasks can simplify or change entire plans. Cooking can transform from following recipes verbatim into creative experimentation. Competition can evolve from button mashing to breaking intended game mechanics. Embrace this evolution: the more answers you discover, the more questions and growth shall arise.
Don't let your past dictate your presence. Focus on change and growth. Open up space for transformation. Reframe "I am stuck" as "I have been stuck" to reclaim intentionality and agency. Learn how to teach growth mindset to your kids like Kevin by rephrasing "I can't do it" as "I can't do it yet". Then, learn how to do it through practice.
If you're still stuck, how about you fuel our fire?