“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”.   These words by Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu seem simple and obvious but the action behind the words can prove very difficult.  Today’s creativity challenge word is begin and it’s not that there aren’t things I want to begin, it’s more of a question of what should I begin first?

This question of what should happen first has actually been a great way of not beginning anything which is frustrating.  It’s like creating a to-do list and just picking and choosing out of the list rather than starting at the beginning, the first step, and just getting stuff done.  The things that get in the way tend to be the usual; I’m busy, don’t have time, other things get in the way, I don’t know exactly where to start or I’m just plain afraid.

Everyone gets the same 24 hours and yet some people seem to get more accomplished than others or have a more balanced life.  I’m not saying that everyone should fill up all of their time with things to work on,  but I do tend to spend time doing mindless things like checking out social media or watching TV.  I actually did better with my time when I was younger.  I took time to exercise (play), I did school and extracurriculars, took time with friends and had time to practice and work.  Now I feel like all I do is go to work and come home.  How much of that is my own doing?  How much of that is an excuse for not taking a first step?

So what’s the worst that could happen?  I take the first step and go in the wrong direction.  I just go another direction.  I take the first step and step into a mess.  I clean it up. I take the first step and others question my direction.  I take another step.

It’s not that I’m not full of ideas and mental enthusiasm, it’s that darned first physical step that gets in the way.  The first step to me means commitment and possible failure in the future if I’ve chosen the wrong path to walk on.  I’ll admit, I really love succeeding and I hate to fail. Surprise, right? Sure, I understand that we learn through failure and it sounds GREAT when I say those kinds of things to my students, but when it comes to me, I don’t have as much grace.

“Whatever you do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it.” ( Johann Wolfgang von Goethe).   Boldness.  As women we are not always encouraged to be bold.  A first step takes boldness.  Boldness is unexpected, out of the norm, unlike anything someone else would do.  What can you do today that would be a bold step towards that magic that Goethe talks about?  How can you make the world a better place by just taking that first step towards a dream that you’ve held in your heart? Looking at it this way, it’s almost selfish NOT to take that first step.  You never know what kind of impact you’ll have on the world until you begin it with one step.