The funny thing about starting something is that before you begin, you need to have an end goal in mind. I’ll agree with the old verbiage that it’s not about arrive to the destination, it’s about the journey getting there. BUT in order to have a journey you need to want to go somewhere–more importantly, you need to start to get there.

One of my favorite authors and inspirational speakers, Hal Elrod built his career around helping others start their day right. He believes if you start your day right, the more likely you are to be successful that day, and therefore throughout life. Wouldn’t it makes sense to start each journey that way too?

Imagine this: your goal is to hike to the top of a mountain–you’re excited for the journey and reaching your destination. If you start your hike out of shape, on little to no sleep, after eating a bad breakfast, how far do you think you’ll get? Will you enjoy the hike? Most likely not. You’ll be thinking about how great it’d be to sit down, maybe you’d even regret your decision to hike the mountain.

Another of my greatest inspirations, Davis Osborn once said in a podcast I listen to that “a lot of people are starters, but not a lot of people are finishers.” Looking at my own life, I can see this to be true for me. I am interested in SO MANY THINGS! I want to do it all. My approach is the problem. I start off with the mindset of where I want to be at the end of the journey, that I don’t take time to consider what I need to begin my journey.

What do I need to be brave? Annie F. Downs in 100 Days to Brave tells us the seeds of courage–what we need to say yes is already inside of us!

Brave is an every day commitment. The little seeds of courage inside of us need to be taken care of in order to blossom. Each little yes we say to the things jay scare us allow our courage to bloom. With each yes and each step we take toward brave, the more strength the courage inside us blossoms.

Journeying to Brave can only happen through growth. Growth takes time…but now that we know where we’re going, it’s time to figure out how to begin.

First things first, just start.