A new possibility can appear at any time. It may be a workshop, an online course, a fellowship, a competition, a new skill or simply an idea that catches someone’s attention. In Kashmir, a learner may notice such an opportunity and pause before taking the first step. That pause is natural. It is the space between wanting to do something and actually doing it. Sometimes, one small decision can begin a much bigger journey.
Kashmir’s young generation is living in a time when knowledge is easier to reach than ever before. Books, educational institutions, workshops and digital platforms can open new paths. Artificial intelligence, coding, design, research, entrepreneurship and creative work are easier to explore. A phone can connect a learner with knowledge from any part of the country and around the world. But information is only the beginning. Its value becomes clearer when it is applied and understood through experience.
There is often a small gap between wanting to do something and taking the first step. A person may have an idea and wonder if it is worth sharing. Someone may want to attend a programme and feel nervous. Such feelings can be common when something is new. There is no need to wait until every doubt disappears. Curiosity can lead the way. One can begin, learn along the way and discover what comes next.
This is why showing up can be seen as a skill. It means asking a question, attending a workshop, joining an activity, learning something new or starting a small project. It does not mean knowing everything or having complete confidence. Every skilled person begins somewhere. Every large journey starts with a small step. The first attempt does not have to be perfect. It simply has to begin.
Psychology helps explain why starting can sometimes feel difficult. When the result is unclear, people may spend more time imagining what might happen than taking the first practical step. Research has found links between self-belief, self-regulation and the way people approach tasks. Experience can also make future action easier.
A University of Alberta study involving 456 undergraduates found that self-efficacy for self-regulation was the strongest predictor of procrastination tendencies among the self-related factors examined. Another study of 1,184 health-professions students in China found that 877 students, or 74.1 percent, reported delaying at least one type of academic task. These findings show that self-belief and practical self-management can influence how people begin and continue tasks.
The American Psychological Association offers another useful perspective through the work of psychologist C. Rick Snyder. His theory of hope connects three ideas: goals, pathways and agency. In simple terms, people need something they want to achieve, possible ways of reaching it and the motivation to keep moving towards it. Hope can be more than wishing. It can turn a goal into a direction.
This idea matters in Kashmir. A large goal can appear difficult when viewed as one huge task. A smaller step can make it easier to approach. One workshop can introduce a subject. One lesson can begin a skill. One conversation can bring a new idea. A small project can reveal what to learn next. The whole road does not have to be visible at the beginning. Sometimes, seeing the next step is enough.
Research from Stanford Graduate School of Business provides another useful lesson. Researchers Szu-chi Huang and Jennifer Aaker conducted six studies involving more than 1,600 participants. Their research examined how viewing achievement as a journey, rather than only as a final destination, can affect continued effort. In one walking study, people who focused on the journey walked nearly 5,500 extra steps over three days, showing how a different way of viewing progress can encourage continued effort.
Harvard Health offers another reason to value continued learning through its discussion of brain plasticity, the brain’s ability to change and adapt. It notes that learning new and challenging activities, especially with regular practice, can support changes in the brain. Beginning matters, but returning to something matters too. Practice can turn something unfamiliar into something more comfortable and build confidence over time.
Showing up does not mean doing everything at once. It can mean one workshop, one lesson, one question or one hour of practice. Stanford’s Center for Teaching and Learning recommends breaking larger tasks into smaller actions and using simple routines to make starting easier. It also notes that there is no single method that works for everyone.
The first step can become easier when people have encouragement around them. A teacher, mentor, friend, family member or community group can offer guidance and support. A welcoming environment can give beginners the freedom to ask questions, make mistakes and learn. Not every experience needs to produce an immediate result. Sometimes, its value is discovering a new interest.
For learners in Kashmir, this research carries a positive message. There are many ways to learn, create and explore. Technology has brought knowledge closer. A learner can discover a subject, develop a skill and find a new direction through experience. One person may write, another may build, another may research and another may create. There is no single road to progress.
Perhaps the most useful question is not, “Am I completely ready?” It may be, “What can I discover today?” The answer could be one opportunity, one question, one lesson, one conversation or one new skill. The step may be small, but its possibilities can be much bigger than the step itself.
A small beginning can grow into something much larger. A lesson can develop into a skill. An idea can become a project. A conversation can open a new direction. In Kashmir, every such beginning can create another possibility. Showing up is not about having all the answers at the start. It is about being willing to learn, explore and take the next step.
The future is not always waiting at the end of a long road.
Sometimes, it is waiting in the next small step.
And sometimes, the most important thing a person can do is simply show up.
Er. Suhaib Bakshi is a Columnist. bakshisuhaib094@gmail.com
