The distance between where you are now and where you want to be can be calculated in terms of a series of actions.

There is no amount of theory and postulating, or daydreaming and thinking, that will make your dreams come true. The formula is simple: the more action you take now, the faster you will progress towards making your dreams a reality.

Starting something from nothing

There is a certain responsibility you take on when you decide to create something from nothing. It is your baby and your creation and for some people this is a scary proposition. It may not be natural for you to take a leadership role. It may not be natural for you to take responsibility or risk failure. But here you are ready to do it anyway. Good on you!

How do you deal with the expanse between what you have and what you want? How do you cope with people enquiring about your progress and potentially judging you along the way?

The answer is, one step at a time.

The only way to get to where you want to go is to take the steps you can take right now. They may not even be very exciting steps, but if you don’t take them, you will be no further along than you are right now. Many of the things you act on will not get you the result you were hoping for or expecting, but that is all part of the game.

As well as being potentially confronting, starting something from nothing is also thrilling! Think of it as a jigsaw puzzle: you have a vision of what the finished picture is going to look like and you are going to add in all the little pieces that will make your vision a reality.

When starting something from nothing, start with a brief for your project as if it were a real, tangible thing. This will help you see the big picture. Let your creative juices flow, visualise your end goal and sketch it out. Your brief should be about one page long and should cover the basics.

The full project may look nothing like your original brief, but it is a starting point. I find the act of taking an idea in my head and creating a brief on paper helps me see the idea as a real possibility rather than a daydream.

In my brief I also include five actions I can take to get the project moving. Some of the actions may include calling people who could be interested in being part of the project, or who may have some experience or contacts that could benefit the project. Fulfilling these initial actions will suddenly place you in a different headspace … your project has begun!

Actions that can boost your project overnight

As part of any project there are hundreds of actions you could take on any given day, but if you look at your options, some will bring you greater results than others. Here are some actions you can take that will give your project a massive boost — even when you are just starting out!

• Make a list of people worldwide who could advance your project. They may be people you know or don’t know: friends, potential partners, potential sponsors, advisors, mentors, industry experts … the list is endless. Call someone new each day, or week, and speak to them about your project and what you are aiming to achieve. Gauge interest in any requests or ideas you have, or ask to meet for a coffee if you are in the same city. Network your project. The conversations and connections you make will help give you a pool of fantastic people who can help you with contacts, ideas, their experience and support.
• Make a list of blogs, websites, newspapers, magazines, radio shows and television shows that would be interested in your project. Write a story about your project and why you are doing it that would appeal to each target media entity. For example, if you are a mum approaching a parenting blog, tell the story from the perspective of a parent. Make sure you tailor the angle of your story to suit each organisation.
• Call each media entity and pitch them the story. Be prepared to send more information to anyone who is interested.
• Get a coach, friend or partner with whom you can share your progress. Find someone who would be willing to hold you accountable for achieving your goals. Be in contact with them regularly (weekly or fortnightly) to report on the results of your previous actions and to plan the next ones.
• Post your plans in a public place. Starting with your social media networks, keep your community posted on your progress and allow them to support you.
• Choose the thing you think will be the biggest challenge right now. Then write down 10 different ways you could overcome the challenge.
• Go to relevant industry events and network your idea.
• Find related people or organisations. Find out who is working in an area related to your project and already has an audience, and form a partnership with them.

These types of actions can give you a big boost of momentum. Here’s how we find these tips working for our project, Five Point Five.

Any small team (or solo person) attempting to create a big project gets used to the fact that they can’t do everything that needs to be done on their own. The pitfall, however, is when you get into the groove of one part of your project and let other important things slide. This is pretty common as most people will do the things they are good at and like doing before they tackle the super-hard things that they have no experience in.

To give yourself the best chance of success, make sure you spread your time between the everyday project development and the bursts of expansion that will grow you exponentially faster.

How to stop procrastinating and get results now

The sun is filtering through enormous French windows onto the bed where I am working. This week we are staying in a beautiful, old, terraced house in Valparaiso, Chile. I have filled the day with sleeping in, cooking meals, researching and writing blog posts, playing with our host’s dogs, taking the dogs for a walk, wandering to the shops to buy cakes, posting on social media and other relaxing pastimes.

Unfortunately none of these things will write this chapter for me and so finally, as the day is drawing to an end and while the dogs snooze outside the door, I plump up the pillows, plug in my headphones and settle down to write. Today, I chose to do things other than working towards my goal. More often, however, I will start the task I intend to work on and then get distracted and drift away without even realising it. Sometimes it takes me hours to notice!

I know my patterns of procrastination well. They revolve around cups of tea, social media, YouTube videos and everything to do with food and eating. Some of my best work has been created while avoiding what I should have been doing. I am amazed at just how focused I can be when whatever I am doing is not the thing I should be working on.

Procrastination is the way your insecurities sabotage your chances of success. Procrastination is the great leveller. It can turn all great potential to dust.

It doesn’t matter how brilliant, talented and skilful you are. What matters is whether you’re doing something with your abilities and making the most of the time you have available. Here are some of the things I do to keep the procrastination monster at bay.