P41: Start Something Hard the Easy Way

Welcome to Just One Pivot, Sunday’s pause to plan your next best move. If this was sent to you, subscribe to get your own copy next Sunday.

Welcome!

A little birdie told me you’ve been wanting to start something for a while. Am I right? Big? Hard?

I was recently talking to a good friend whose dream is to one day leave his job and build something with his son, something they could truly call their own.

What’s Your Hard Thing?

Maybe the hard thing you’ve been circling isn’t starting a business. Maybe it’s finishing a book, a piece of creative writing, going back to school, or finally launching that creative project.

Whatever form it takes, the challenge is the same: starting feels overwhelming, even reckless, especially once you’ve built stability and responsibility into your life.

But here’s the good news: you don’t have to leap off a cliff to begin. You can ease your way in, test the waters, and build momentum step by step.

Every big dream begins with a simple question: How do I even start?

But then comes the question that freezes so many of us: How do you actually do it?

How do you find the time? Or, if the leap is riskier, how do you walk away from the steady paycheck, the insurance, the comfort of knowing exactly what’s coming every two weeks? Those perks can feel like golden cuffs, can’t they?

Shiny, but binding. Because security comes with a cost: a ceiling on what you can earn, a limit on how much you can create, a trade-off between comfort and the satisfaction of building something from nothing.

I understand the tension well. My whole life has been spent doing hard things, and the hardest of all has been stepping out as an entrepreneur, or launching big projects for others as an employee. Each season had its own rewards, but the pull toward building something of my own never goes away.

The Pivot Point

Starting something hard doesn’t require a dramatic leap. What it requires is momentum—tiny, steady actions that keep the dream alive and make it less intimidating.

Momentum is built in steps, not reckless leaps. One thing. Every single day or every week, or every month. What matters is forward movement.

The Shift

Instead of staring at the whole mountain, pick up the smallest stone.

• Make a list of every question you have about your dream.

• Research one answer.

• Talk to one person who’s walked the path before.

• Block one hour on your calendar a week to explore without distraction.

Do this for a month, and you’ll already feel the ground shifting.

The Uncommon Move

Don’t wait for the perfect moment to leap. Build a bridge.

This week, pick one small but deliberate action to advance your hard thing. Keep it so doable it feels almost too easy. Easy keeps you moving, and moving builds momentum.

To make it simple, I’ve created a simple, one-page Action Tracking Sheet you can use to capture your weekly steps. Think of it as a breadcrumb trail of progress. You’ll start seeing patterns, clarity, and new opportunities just by keeping track.

Here’s the structure:

Date | Research Question | Action | Key Contacts | Progress or Next Step

Download it. Print it and post it where you’ll see it. Use it to track one action a week, and you’ll be astonished at how far those tiny steps carried you.

Until next week,

P.S. Know someone who needs to hear this? Forward it to them.

P.S.S. The reading circle of my newly imagined Bridge Builders book is still underway. Click image below to catch up, and embark on a guided journey of inner transformation that will revolutionize the way you tackle your next hard thing.

Here are two ways to connect with me:

👉 On LinkedIn

👉 Book a free strategy consultation if you need some clarity for your next move.