What To Do When You Feel Like You're Falling Behind
It's the start that stops most people
Whenever I want to get fired up, I will start reading the comments on a post like this:
“Remember when six figures was a lot of money?”
“People have savings??”
“After taxes in MA that’s like $50k…”
“Boston sucks”
To me, it’s easy to complain about something like this. My follow up question to these people would be, “what are you doing about it?”
If you want to improve your situation, generate momentum, and spark change, you need to get up and get started.
I live by the saying, “It’s the start that stops most people.”
You see it all the time with finances: saving for retirement, setting up a high-yield savings account, getting life insurance, funding education, estate planning—the list goes on. People know they should be doing something, but they feel overwhelmed and end up doing nothing.
Often, when I meet with someone and they need to open an account, want to start a business, or have to contact a company about an old account they lost track of, I know in the back of my mind that they probably won’t do it.
It’s the start that is stopping them.
Then, as they get older and feel behind, they often become tempted to take massive, uncalculated risks to “catch up,” which can lead to even greater setbacks…
If you find yourself behind or have a million things on your to-do list, consider breaking it down:
Identify High-Impact Tasks: What’s actually going to move the needle? Stop overanalyzing, prioritize the tasks that make a significant difference, and do those first.
Be Selective: Not everything has to be done at once. Sometimes you need to be selfish to become selfless.
Ask “Why am I doing this?”: Understanding your motivation can help you stay committed. The “why” matters more than the “how.”
Starting is by far the hardest part. As you begin to reach achievements, no matter how small, they build up and create a sense of accomplishment. This momentum can help you tackle bigger goals.
Remember - some movement is always better than no movement. Even if progress seems slow, it’s still progress. Perfectionism often leads to procrastination.
It’s a journey, but you need to start if you ever want to reach your destination.
Disclosure: This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.