Getting Started
The hardest part about writing is the first word. There's nothing more daunting than looking at a blank page. Intimidation can often cause us to freeze, give up, and forget why we started in the first place. You see, our dreams and goals are the most vulnerable in their early stages. So many dreams are aborted before they ever get the chance to live. Because getting started is the hardest part.
This is usually how it goes...
You suddenly get this revelation that you should start running, or eating healthier, or start a blog/business/whatever. You get the point. So you're thinking about this big idea. Maybe it's a dream you've had for a while, or maybe it's something God has called you to do. You feel so excited that you want to tell everyone. You start dreaming of the outcome, how amazing it will be, and you are READY. You feel like you can take on the world.
But then you go to get started. And all of a sudden, those feelings of excitement seem distant. You begin to question, doubt and procrastinate.
You wait for the feelings to come back, but they don't... so then you assume maybe it just wasn't from God and give up. You pick up your phone and start scrolling through social media to look at what everyone else is saying instead of putting in the work to get the words out and on your page. Okay, maybe that part was for me.
Getting started looks a lot like watching a baby walk for the first time. It's awkward, vulnerable, we don't know what we're doing, and we fall and want to scream. And this is why it's easier to give up than to press in. We've glamorized the outcome, we celebrate the before + after's, we love to see a success story, but we hate to put in the work it takes. But all it takes is the decision to show up and start. You don't need to know 10 steps ahead to take the first step.
I had no idea what I was doing stepping into a big girl career job. I was just a 19 year old homeschooled girl from a small town. I had no idea how to start a business, I never took a single training course. I had no idea what I was doing when I quit my job to work for myself. I had no idea how to bake, create a brand, and everything it took to launch Harvest Waffles. Any waffle I ever made prior was a crumbly mess. I hated running, I couldn't even run a mile, I didn't know how to run 13 miles. I wasn't the smartest in school, and I wasn't qualified for anything I've ever done.
The key to getting started is simply not to give yourself time to talk yourself out of it. Living in so cal, the water is freezing cold. I'm always that girl that wants to tiptoe my way in. The hardest part is going under. We just can't give ourselves time to think about it. Over-analysis causes paralysis (shout out to my pastor, Lori for always reminding me of this truth!) The more time you give yourself to think about it, the more time you give yourself to get back to the shore. Just dive in. You don't need to know all the answers. The best way to learn is to just get started. Done beats perfect every time. Don't worry about getting it right. Consistency is the goal, not perfection.