Just start!

How many times in life have you thought about doing something, but hesitated for so long that the time passed and you never did it?

What comes to mind

Several things come to my mind right away. Places I wanted to go visit, classes I wanted to take in order to learn new things, a friend I wanted to get together with…

I’m sure there are many more things, but these come to mind right off the bat.

Why?

When I look back on these things, the one thing I realize on each of them is that I have no excuse. Time passes quickly and we suddenly realize we never put any of it in to action.

So now what?

As I get older and have these ideas, I’ve tried to use the simple task of writing it out to help me work through things. Obviously every thought we have we are not going to put in to action. But sometimes we have ideas that keep coming back to our minds over and over again.

When that happens, I’ve realized there is a reason for it. Whether it is a burning desire to do something but perhaps I’m a little afraid, or even worse, a little lazy to do the leg work because I am not sure if it will even work out.

So, now when things keep coming back in to my head, I write down the idea and find a time to think more about it so that I can determine exactly what steps to start with. Whether it is a pros and cons list, or a how to make it happen list. For me, when I write things down, they are much more likely to happen.

Examples

For years I wanted to play my piano more and study the music theory that I loved so much many years ago. I would walk past my piano every single day and just look at it longingly, but not make the time to do anything with it.

All my life I’ve loved to travel, but when it came to actually going somewhere, I think I froze up a little and stopped in my tracks. I came up with every reason why it either wasn’t a good time, or why financially I shouldn’t do it. Yet I was always looking at other photos saying to myself that I wanted to travel more.

Spending time with friends I haven’t gotten to see in a long time was always something I’d say I was going to make a point to do. Then I would say to myself that since I’m so ‘busy’ today, I’d work on that next week. Only for it not to happen next week either.

Life is too short

We always hear that we are not promised tomorrow. The older I get the more I understand that this is a reality. Time is fleeting and though I thought I had lots of time to make things happen, I now understand that I should have been working on these things long before now.

Just take the steps!

The last several years the biggest advice that I have implemented is to just START. Take the steps to do those things. What ever they are. So my advice to anyone that has a list of things they are going to “get to soon”, is to take the steps and make those things happen.

Yes, some of the things in our lists are a little scary. Some have lots of steps and we will have to get out of our own away and make them happen. But START. Take the steps. One at a time!

What ever it is, make it priority today. The rewards are there for you!

The coolest thing is calling/texting that friend you have been wanting to reconnect with and setting a date for lunch. All it took was a few moments to send that message or call.

Research that place you want to travel to and book it! Don’t just think about it or talk about it, but figure out where and how you are going to make it happen. Travel is one of our favorite things now. We can’t get enough of it! And yes, we have to budget for it, but it’s totally doable!

Stop and sit down with that instrument and feel inspired by the music again.

Or maybe it’s a new business you want to start. Take the steps to start it! Don’t be afraid, or think that the steps are too time consuming. Just START. A few steps a day is better than nothing!

YOU are a priority!

Just remember that it’s your one and only life. Make the things that you want a priority. Make your lists and then take the steps. You’ll feel SO good about it!

Bonus

Isn’t it true, that when we feel good about ourselves, we are more equipped to bless others? The answer is yes! I’ve seen it time and time again!

So be good to yourself!

XOXO,