By Leo Babauta

Sometimes we decide not to do something because it feels like there’s not enough time to do the task — it will take me 2 hours to work on that task, and I only have 20 minutes, so why bother starting?

We do this kind of thing more than we realize — there’s not enough time to finish this, so why start? I don’t know if I’ll ever finish it, so why bother?

This feeling of pointlessness is one of our biggest obstacles.

It feels pointless, so why try? Why even start?

This equates the value of trying with the outcome of the activity. In this thinking, it’s only worthwhile if we finish, if we succeed. This diminishes our efforts, because it means trying is only worth it if we get the outcome we want.

What if there’s value in trying, no matter what the outcome?

What if putting ourselves into something is valuable because it expands us, because we learn, or because the activity itself is worth savoring?

What if we start a task and only do it for 20 minutes, and leave it unfinished, and that’s OK? Maybe starting it will move the ball forward in a meaningful way. Maybe not — maybe just starting is a good practice in and of itself, because then we’re practicing overcoming our initial resistance.

Learn to notice this thinking when it shows up: it’s not worth starting, it’s not worth trying, what’s the point?

And then find the deeper meaning for yourself, and overcome this bias of pointlessness.