The Will to Begin

You're always capable of taking the first step

Why is it so hard to start something new, even when we know it’s good for us? We want to change habits, build something new, or chase a goal, but inertia often wins. It’s easier to do nothing than take action, so we stay put. There’s a reason the ancient proverb says “the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step”. It reminds us that even the biggest accomplishments start with something small. A single decision, a moment of effort, one small step in the right direction.

But even knowing this doesn’t make starting easy. It’s Newton’s first law of motion: an object at rest stays at rest. Inertia isn’t just a law of physics, it’s also a psychological one. Sometimes we procrastinate, telling ourselves that we can’t start today, but we’ll “definitely” do it tomorrow, next week, next month. Repeat that often enough and soon “tomorrow” will become “never”.

Other times, we don’t even bother pretending that we’ll start later. We talk ourselves out of it before we’ve even tried. Just think about what happens after the first step: there’s still a thousand miles to go! And those miles aren’t smooth. There are mountains to climb, oceans to cross, and deserts to survive. If you worry about that before you start you're unlikely to take even a single step.

I’ve found a lesser-known version of that ancient quote to be more helpful:

“The journey of a thousand miles starts with your own two feet.”

It’s a subtle shift, but the difference is important. You still have to take a step, but it emphasises that the means to begin are already within you. The journey starts with… Your. Own. Two. Feet. It doesn’t require an RV packed with supplies or a well-stocked sailboat. It starts with you, using your own feet, to take that first small step. We often think we need to be fully prepared or more capable before starting something new, but that’s rarely true. All we need is a willingness to begin.

This lesson applies not only to the big things but also to the small ones. Build a habit of taking that first step with the small stuff and you’ll soon develop a bias for action that makes starting the big stuff easier. Don’t forget that inertia works both ways. An object in motion stays in motion. Keep taking those single small steps and eventually your plans to start something big “tomorrow” will become “right now”.

There’s another advantage to action: it teaches you faster than planning ever will. Even the best plan tends to fall apart once your assumptions meet reality, and over-planning can paralyse you. The truth is, you won’t know how things unfold until you begin, so spend your energy on starting instead. Forward motion is what reveals the true path.

Whatever you’re hesitating to make a start on, don’t wait to feel ready. You already have everything you need to begin. The path ahead might be long, but it begins right here, with your own two feet. Momentum begins with movement, so step forward not with perfection, but with intention. You’ll work out the rest along the way.