If you want to start doing something, you need to stop doing what was getting in the way. Some of these ideas might get you going or encourage you to adopt a few starts and stops of your own:

Start focusing on long- term objectives and figure out strategies to get there. Stop focusing on short- term goals at the expense of what’s important, long term.

Start focusing on your total presence, your confidence, capabilities, and ways of expressing yourself.  Stop limiting your focus to appearance, how good you look, how smartly you dress.

Start driving for the right results for the right reasons. Stop getting so hung up on the right reasons that you end up with the wrong results.

Start simplifying complexity. Stop making the simple needlessly complex.

Start aligning your strengths with your goals. Stop playing out of position.

Start saying what you think. Stop assuming that others can read your mind.

Start watching bottom line while you drive top line. Stop insisting on one at the expense of the other.

Start balancing empowerment with controls. Stop overdoing empowerment at the expense of controls.

Start celebrating small wins. Stop waiting for something to celebrate.

Start accepting accountability for the mistakes you make. Stop blaming others for your role in a flawed outcome.

Start rewarding transparency. Stop encouraging opacity.

Start leveraging team strengths. Stop focusing on team weaknesses.

Start reading your audience. Stop playing to your audience.

Start focusing on follow through. Stop dropping the ball after a strong beginning.

Start checking in. Stop checking out.

Start inviting, including, inspiring. Stop shutting up, shutting out, shutting down.

Start with a vision and follow with the mission. Stop changing course every time you hit a roadblock.

Start looking for balance in perspective. Stop worrying that balanced perspective means they win and you lose.

Start apologizing when you make a mess. Stop acting like apology is a sign of weakness.

Start accepting credit when you do a good job. Stop taking credit for someone else’s good job.

Start giving others the benefit of the doubt. Stop doubting the benefit of giving.

Start dealing directly with difficult issues. Stop thinking they’ll go away if you avoid them.

Start having fun. Stop waiting for an after life to enjoy life.

Start taking vacations. Stop acting like exhaustion is a virtue.

Start turning on the lights. Stop thinking bad ideas look better with the lights off.

Start taking action. Stop confusing avoidance with a constructive response.

Start talking to co-workers. Stop emailing them.

Start building ideas on fresh perspectives. Stop finding problems with every idea. Start letting go of bad outcomes. Stop holding on to flawed ideas.

Start opening lines of communication. Stop pulling the plug on discussion.

Start mugging problems. Stop mugging people.

Start working on what’s most important. Stop wasting time on busy work.

Start doing things that give you energy. Stop spending time on what takes more energy than it’s worth.

Start doing more of what you do best. Stop forcing yourself to do what others do better.

Start asking expansive questions that broaden the discussion. Stop asking closed questions that are self- serving.

Start showing respect for other people’s opinions. Stop interrupting the flow of ideas.

Start demonstrating confidence. Stop aggrandizing arrogance.

Start combining courage with consideration. Stop acting like disrespect is a sign of strength.

Start practicing the art of apology. Stop playing games with the role of responsibility.

Start talking about what’s right with people. Stop looking for what’s wrong in people.

Start tomorrow with what doesn’t have to begin today. Stop worrying today about what tomorrow has time to consider.

Start saying please and thank-you. Stop assuming courtesy is kids stuff.