Just Hit START
As a kid who grew up during the video game console rage of the 80s/90s, I can safely say that I’ve easily logged my 10,000 hours of video game time. In fact, I’ve probably logged more than 15,000, but that number makes me a little sad to consider. No matter how you slice it, I’ve played a lot of video games. (and I regret nothing)
I often say that I got a Public Relations degree in college with a Minor in Playstation. That’s how many hours of video games I played. Even still today, I find a way to log a few hours of unwinding while playing Call of Duty. It allows my brain to completely relax and zone out.
It’s funny how video games can run so many parallels in our lives, even years later. There are lessons to be learned from video games, just don’t tell my son I wrote this.
So, during conversations with some folks over the last few weeks, it’s been clear there is a blocker for many when thinking about starting the approach on the next career opportunities. Simply put, people struggle to begin the process of how to achieve their goals. This could be applying for new roles, or new habits, or even breaking the cycle of being too comfortable in their current role.
So often get asked questions like this: “Scott, how do I even start?”
My response is always centered around asking questions like “What is the deeper why that is driving this,” or “What motivation could be pushing your decision to go this route?” I like to ask questions rather than jump to conclusions, as I also know that if a person gets there on their own, it’s much more impactful than me pushing them to a destination.
The answer is very simple though. It’s not complicated. It’s not ambiguous or even a hidden message. It’s plain and straightforward.
The answer is HIT START!
Just like when I was 8 years old trying to play Contra with my older brother, he was yelling at me to HIT START!
Just like when I had my buddies at my house in High School, and we were playing Goldeneye, HIT START!
Just like when I was in college playing NCAA Football, HIT START!!
Just. Hit. Start.
To begin the game, you have to hit start.
Over the years, the controllers became more complicated. The buttons were added, the graphics were better, and so was the sound, the length of gameplay, etc. But one thing remained: you had to hit START to get started.
I know it sounds simple and it’s almost a patronizing answer. But it’s true. You have to just get started somewhere, and you have to learn through the process, too. It’s ok to hit start and lose the first game you play. That’s how you know if what you were doing was working or not. If you sit there and stare at the start screen the entire time, waiting for the game to begin, you’ll be waiting for a very long time. The game doesn’t start until you make it start.
My advice is always to start with the end in mind. What do you ultimately want to achieve and why? Then work backward on the timeline. Perhaps you must achieve specific milestones along the journey to achieve the end result. If you’re considering applying for jobs, pick a date in the future that you want to be in that new role, then work backward. Insert the milestones in the process, and then start to work towards these small chunks. Don’t try to boil the ocean all at once.
It also helps to start journaling and writing down your steps too. You don’t often know where to start because you’re trying to bite off more than you can chew, but if you break down the steps and start the process, it becomes much easier. Once you start to visualize the path through writing or journaling, you can see the end.
Finally, start talking to people about where you are and where you want to go. Sometimes, a simple conversation can make all the difference. If you keep the information bottled up inside of you, you’ll never get the advice and feedback you desire to help you with the process. The more conversations you have, the better you will be.
Just. Hit. Start.
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by Scott Bond
