The road to success is not a straight line, but a winding one with many hills and valleys. Sometimes you may feel like you’re stuck at a particular plateau for an extended period of time. Keeping your spirits high and continuing to push forward can be challenging, but there are ways to keep moving up that hill. In order to get ahead and stay ahead in your career, you need to find ways of getting started on new projects or tasks more quickly than before. The secret of getting ahead is getting started -- even when it feels hard to do so. If you need help getting started in your next job, check out the following tips on how to get started faster and more efficiently whenever you’re faced with a new task or project:

Make a game plan before you start

Planning your work before you get started will help you get more done in less time. Rather than diving in head-first and hoping for the best, you’ll have a clear path towards meeting your goals. If you have a large project coming up, break it down into smaller, more manageable chunks. Be specific about what you’ll need to accomplish and by when. This makes it much easier to stay on track and get your work done in a timely fashion. If you have a more immediate task that you need to knock out now, make a checklist so you don’t forget anything. Checklists often get a bad rap, but they have been proven to help people stay more organized and productive. A checklist can be as simple as identifying the task you need to complete and the materials you’ll need to do it. This will help you stay focused and on task as you complete your work.

Define your key tasks before you start

Break down the big picture of what you need to do into smaller, manageable chunks. It’s not uncommon for people to feel overwhelmed when they’re faced with a large project. By breaking up the project into smaller, more manageable tasks, you can take off some of the pressure and feel less overwhelmed by the big picture. When you’re starting a new project, ask yourself: What are the big, key tasks I need to accomplish to get this project done? On a piece of paper, write down the key tasks you need to complete. Once you have your key tasks defined, break them down into smaller, bite-sized chunks. Now you have your to-do list in order of priority -- making it easier to get started and stay on track.

Use the “two-minute” rule before you start

The next time you have a to-do item that’s been sitting on your list for too long, try this trick: Work on the task for two minutes. After two minutes, no matter how much you’ve accomplished, stop. This rule applies to email as well. When you receive an email that requires action, work on it for two minutes before you decide to send or delete it. Once you’ve worked on the task for two minutes, you’ll have a better idea of how much time it’ll take to complete. The two-minute rule has been proven to help people stay more focused and efficient. After working on a task for two minutes, you’ll have a much better idea of how much time it will take to complete it. If you’re not certain how long it will take you to accomplish a task, estimate the amount of time you think it will take to get it done. This will help you stay focused and on track.

Find your triggers to get started faster

When you’re staring down a big project or task, it can be easy to put it off. While it’s important to be organized and ready to take on new challenges, it’s also important to get started on time. If you have a tendency to put off starting a particular project or task, find a trigger that will help you get started sooner. This trigger could be related to your environment, schedule, or even your work space. For example, if you find it hard to get started on that report due on Friday, try getting it done on Thursday so it’s out of the way. Find your triggers and incorporate those into your daily routine so you can get started faster on your work and reach your goals.

Conclusion

Getting ahead in your career starts with getting started -- especially when challenges arise. The key to getting started more quickly is to make a game plan, define your key tasks, use the “two-minute” rule, find your triggers, and then get started.