"The greatest lesson that I learned in all of this is that you have to start. Start now, start here, and start small"

Starting is often the hardest part of any journey. The essence of this quote is that the most important thing you can do is take that first step—no matter how small it might be. It’s about breaking free from the paralysis of overthinking and just beginning your journey from wherever you are right now.

Let's step back and think about why this advice is so powerful. We’ve all been there, right? We have a dream, a goal, an idea, but we get bogged down with questions: Is this the right time? Do I have enough resources? What if I fail? This quote cuts through all that noise. It says, "Don’t wait for the perfect moment—just start." It’s like getting a nudge from a wise friend who sees you stuck in analysis paralysis.

Take the history of any major innovation, for example. When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple, they didn’t have a grand office or a huge team. They started small—in a garage. They had an idea and decided to just start working on it. They didn’t wait for the stars to align. They began with what they had, where they were.

Think about it in a more personal scenario. Imagine you want to get healthier. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options: Should you join a gym? Hire a personal trainer? Buy expensive workout gear? But what if you just started small? Like, right now? Go for a ten-minute walk. Do a few push-ups. The key is to begin. Those small steps accumulate and before you know it, you’ve built a habit.

So, how do you apply this wisdom? Start by breaking down your goal into tiny, manageable tasks. If you want to write a book, don’t think about the 300 pages you’ve got to fill. Just write one paragraph. If you want to learn a new language, don’t aim to be fluent in three months. Start with a few words or phrases each day. The trick is to lower the barrier to starting so much that it feels almost too easy to take that first step.

Here's a story to illustrate this. My friend John always wanted to start a blog. He had so many ideas but kept putting it off, waiting for the perfect time when he had everything figured out. One day, frustrated with his own delays, he decided to just write one post. He didn’t have a website or a grand plan—he simply wrote and shared it on social media. The feedback was positive, and it gave him the momentum to write more. Fast forward a year, and John now runs a successful blog with thousands of readers. All because he took that small, initial step.

In conversations over coffee, I’d tell you—don’t overthink it. Whatever it is you want to do, start small. You’ll thank yourself for it in the future. Think of it like planting a seed. You don’t plant a tree overnight. You start with a seed, water it, and let it grow. So, what’s that one tiny step you can take today? Don’t wait. Start now. Start here. Start small.