Library · 08

The First Domino

“I know what I should do. I just can’t get started.”

55–70 seconds

Imagine a long line of dominoes.

If your job were to knock all of them down, it would look like a lot of work.

Except that isn't actually your job.

Your job is to move one.

The first one.

The rest becomes possible because something started.

A lot of things we postpone feel difficult because we are thinking about the whole task at once.

Build the portfolio. Prepare for placements. Figure out my career. Learn AI.

Those are not really actions. They are collections of actions.

So when something feels too big to begin, perhaps stop asking:

“How do I finish this?”

Ask:

“What is the first domino?”

One email. One page. One conversation. Twenty minutes.

You don't have to create all the momentum at once. You just need something that can create the next movement.

The idea

Large goals often become actionable only when translated into the smallest move that creates momentum.

A question to take with you

What is the first domino?