About this quote

Most plans falter before any progress because people wait for a perfect moment. Do one small, visible thing today that moves the work forward and you’ll know what to do next. Are you worried about failing? That worry is normal; make the first step cheap and reversible so fear can’t stop you. Keep repeating small starts until starting becomes the habit.

When to use it

• Before sending a risky pitch to a client at work, I say Stephen King's line out loud to stop second-guessing and hit send.
• On the first morning of drafting my thesis, I force myself to write one paragraph and whisper the quote to break the freeze.
• After three weeks off the bike, on the first ride back I repeat that line to get through the first hard mile.
• When I finally sit down to open the business paperwork for my side gig, I read the quote and finish the registration form.