Zhuangzi emphasizes direct action

Most tasks are not really a challenge in and of themselves, but the longer we put them off, the more dangerous they seem to us. So it's important to tackle tasks as early as possible and not let them grow into monsters.

Begin your task before it becomes a burden. Put things in order before they get out of hand.

- Zhuangzi

But also in the following quotation of the legendary founder of Taoism exactly this topic is addressed:

"The tough problems in life always start out simple. Great things always start small."

- Lao Tzu

In most cases, it is easier to do tasks right away. Whether it's an unpleasant phone call, a household task, or exercising; the sooner we start, the easier it will be.

Let's look at the example of budgetary tasks:

If we regularly bring our apartment to an acceptable standard, then we never really have to invest a lot of time. Of course, it's not about doing a big cleaning every week, it's about doing what needs to be done. When we haven't done anything around the house for a while, the tasks pile up. We have to descale the shower, clean the drain, wipe the dust, wet the floor, do the dishes, wash the clothes that have been lying on the floor for weeks or whatever else comes up. If we tackle every little task before it becomes a burden we don't have to do everything at once.

In this example, of course, it is the case that there is not really one task but several that come together. Nevertheless, each one of them is a small load and in sum they become one big one.

The example of sports is also similar to the household tasks. When we realize we should do more sports again to slow down the physical deterioration, we should act. The longer we put it off, the harder it becomes.

In the beginning, we may still have a good basic fitness that is relatively easy to maintain. But if we then let ourselves go and do nothing for half a year or a whole year, we start from scratch. Our belly has grown, we are not as limber as we used to be and the sport will be many times more strenuous again than if we had just kept at it.

If you take this example to the extreme, the worst case scenario could be that we become so unathletic that we don't even manage to be active in sports under our own steam.

So it's a matter of doing your chores before they get out of hand. After all, it's better to knowingly go into the cave and face the monster instead of waiting until the monster has gorged itself, grown, and eventually eats you in one bite.

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