5 (+ 1) strategies to keep you running ahead

There is a good article on the Psychology Today website today, called “Stop Playing Catch-Up: 5 Simple Strategies to Keep You Running Ahead Instead of Behind”. Without going into details, I’ll just list the strategies here:

1.         Write it down.

2.         Get it over with.

3.         Finish what you start.

4.         Invest time to add time.

5.         Work when no one else is working.

The strategies are elegant in their simplicity. With the possible exception of Strategy 5 – which means you may have to stay up late or rise early – they don’t seem to be difficult to carry out. But if I may venture a suggestion, I would add one strategy between 1 and 2:

            Make a start.

To me, that is the vital, make-or-break strategy. Its importance is expressed in the Chinese saying that a good start is half the success. Unfortunately, making a start is possibly the most difficult step. Try to recall how many times you have fallen behind or failed because you never did make a start to do something you should or wanted to?