Here is an awesome quote from Ironsworn Starforged:

PREP IS PLAY Starforged is designed for jump-in gameplay. Whether you are playing solo, teaming up with other players for a co-op campaign, or facilitating a game as the guide, you don't need to prepare for a session. Instead, you can pick up where you left off and play to see what happens.

These exercises are the exception. Using them, you will create a foundation of setting, character, and narrative opportunities. Then, you build on that foundation through play. This initial investment of time and creative energy is narrative momentum for your imagined world.

Also, here's a secret: You're already playing the game. What you'll do through the course of these exercises—make decisions based on established fiction, consult oracles, interpret creative prompts, envision people, places, and situations—is all part of playing Starforged. In short, these exercises should be fun. They should spark your creativity.

They should make you excited about diving into the world you've created. If anything feels like work, skip it or take a shortcut and move on.