"You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."

Starting out is often the toughest part of any new venture. This quote really hammers home the idea that perfection isn’t a prerequisite for beginning something new. Instead, the key is to just take that first step. Think about it—how many times have you hesitated to start something because you felt you weren’t ready or good enough? But the truth is, no one begins as an expert. It's through the process of starting and continuing that we achieve greatness.

Let's take a step back in history for a moment. Consider Thomas Edison and his creation of the light bulb. He didn’t just wake up one day and invent it on the first try. Nope! He actually went through thousands of trials—some say up to 10,000 attempts—before he found the right filament that worked. If he had waited until he was sure he had the perfect design before starting, we might still be lighting our homes with candles. It's the act of beginning and persisting that eventually led him to success.

Imagine you’re someone who’s always wanted to run a marathon, but you’re worried because you're not a seasoned runner. You might think, “I’m not ready, I need to train more, I need better gear.” But here's the kicker—you’ll never be “ready” if you don’t just lace up those sneakers and hit the pavement. Start with a mile, then two, then five. You don’t have to run 26.2 miles on your first day. Little by little, as you keep going, you get better. And before you know it, you’re crossing that finish line.

So how can you apply this in your own life? Start small. Want to write a novel? Don’t wait until you have the perfect plot or the right moment. Just start writing. Even if it’s just 100 words a day. Over time, those words add up to chapters, and chapters turn into a book. Feel like you need to learn a new skill for your job? Dive in. Take an online course, read up on the subject, practice even if you’re bad at first. The more you do, the better you get.

Picture this: You're at a coffee shop with your friend, and you’re both talking about dreams and aspirations. Your friend confides that she’s always wanted to start a small bakery, but she feels overwhelmed by the competition in the market. You listen, take a sip of your latte, and remind her about this quote. “You don’t have to be perfect right out the gate,” you say. "Remember, every big bakery started somewhere small. Why not just start baking in your kitchen and see where it goes?”

The beauty of starting something new, no matter how daunting, is that the journey itself is a learning process. You might mess up, sure. But that’s normal. Think of each misstep as a step closer to getting it right. And honestly, isn’t that a comforting thought? That you don’t have to be great right away? All you need to do is start.