The Biggest Hurdle Isn’t the Work – It’s Starting

I’m currently reading (or rather, listening to the audiobook of) The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick (it’s fantastic, by the way!), and a line I heard today really resonated with me and this journey I’ve been on for nearly a year:

“We’ve got to start someplace. If we don’t, how is anything ever going to change?”

The book follows a group of women, who form a neighborhood book club, during a pivotal time in history as they begin questioning their roles as wives and mothers, opening up to themselves – and one another – about the possibility of wanting more.

That line comes during a moment when the women are pushing past just talking about change and encouraging each other to actually take action – even when it feels uncomfortable and uncertain.

It made me pause for a lot of reasons.

First, even though it’s a work of fiction, it reflects a time in history when society dictated very clear roles for women – and stepping outside of them wasn’t always welcomed. Women were expected to return quietly to the home after the war, and they weren’t always encouraged by their husbands, friends, or even their own families to want something more. And it remained that way for quite some time.

It made me realize how grateful I am that I’ve never felt that limitation.

I’ve never felt like I couldn’t be a writer because of my gender – or that my dream was out of reach, inappropriate, or something I had to justify simply because of who I am.

I’m even more grateful knowing my daughter is growing up in a world where she has the same opportunities I did, if not more. We probably take that for granted some days – maybe most – but we shouldn’t. It’s something women before us had to push and fight for, step by step.

But another reason this quote made me pause is because it applies to so much more in life.

Life is full of ups and downs, obstacles and open runways. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming to pick up the pieces after a job layoff, learn a new language, research college scholarships, or even quit smoking.

But starting is half the battle. It’s what I’ve always believed.

Because if you don’t start, you guarantee you’ll stay exactly where you are.

That’s exactly what I did with my book, Santa’s Summer Vacation in Michigan. I started, stopped, rinse and repeat for years. So long, in fact, that my daughter was nearly grown and flown by the time it was finally released earlier this year.

But once I truly started – once I fully invested in myself – the rest felt less overwhelming. It wasn’t easy by any means, but it became possible. Because you have to start somewhere.

And, honestly, this line made me smile for another reason – it’s the same advice I recently gave an author who’s now a client of mine. (More on that soon). Long story short, my publisher invited me to support other authors with their marketing after seeing my efforts and results.

This author was feeling overwhelmed by the idea of marketing his book. It’s not his background, and he didn’t know where to begin.

I told him: There’s no wrong place to start. You just have to start.