Bootcamp Archives

If you find you have trouble completing or even starting things, it's time to take a look at why. Take some time (say 2 – 5 minutes) to explore what is stopping you from taking action. This can apply to your classes or anything in life.

In my experience, when people are stuck it usually comes down to one of three things–

1. Lack of clarity – “I don’t know where to start”
2. Sense of overwhelm – “Argh! I feel overwhelmed by the size of the task”
3. Lack of skill/knowledge – “Help! I don’t know how to do this!”

Here’s how you can tackle each mental barrier –

The solution to lack of clarity
If you don’t know where to start, then start anywhere. Preferably, start with what is most appealing and interesting for you. Remember - you don't need to do your class in order.

Starting somewhere is better than starting nowhere. Just remember, you can’t learn from nothing... You need something to work with.

The solution to feeling overwhelmed
If you feel overwhelmed by the size of the task, break it down into really small bite size chunks. Ask yourself –

“What is the smallest action step I can take that will move me towards completing this task?”

You need to make things actionable for your brain. For example, today I'm going to do Lesson 3. Or even 1 chapter of lesson 3. Don't forget your class is broken down into individual lessons and chapters within each lesson for ease of completion within the virtual classroom. If you don't define your task for the day you can feel overwhelmed feeling like you have to complete everything at once. Make the class work for you :)

The solution to not knowing how to do something
Finally, if you’re stopped because you don’t know how to do something – google it or ask someone who knows. You can save a lot of time and energy by doing this. The biggest biggest thing to mention here about the class is have you asked for help and uploaded for feedback? If you are stuck and the answer is no remember it is very very hard to help you if no one knows you are struggling :)

In the early days of doing my degree I would spend hours (sometimes days) frustratingly reading books, trying to figure out how to do certain things for my research project. When I’d go meet with my supervisor, the issue would usually be resolved in a couple of minutes!

Your time is a finite resource so make the most of it.

Start before you feel ready

“I’ll just read one more lesson or watch one more video before I start colouring” or “I’m not motivated to start now but tomorrow things may be different” – does this sound familiar? The reality is you are never going to feel ready or motivated to start doing some tasks. You just need to start. 

As productivity coaches Hugh Kearns and Maria Gardiner state in their Nature article “Waiting for the motivation fairy” –

“You have to start before you feel ready; then you’ll feel more motivated, and then you’ll take more action”

So, in summary, what are you waiting for? :) Go and take the next leap forward... The days is yours for the making. Happy Colouring!