Just Start

Just Start

This is my first reflection of 2026, and it feels fitting that the message I heard this morning was so simple and so grounding.

The podcast I listened to talked about starting. About how powerful and exciting a brand new year can be. Three hundred sixty five days. A clean slate. A fresh start for everyone.

There was a quote shared that the speaker said he did not know who to credit, but the words stuck with me immediately.

Start now.

Start where you are.

Start with fear.

Start with pain.

Start with doubt.

Start with hands shaking.

Start with your voice trembling.

But start.

Start where you are with what you have.

Just start.

There really is not much to add to that.

What hit me next was when he talked about how starting is almost never pretty. It usually starts ugly. New habits feel awkward. New routines feel uncomfortable. You do not know what you are doing. You might cringe at yourself. You might feel exposed or unsure or unprepared.

And that is not a sign you are doing it wrong. That is a sign you are starting.

Little by little is how everything meaningful grows. Habits do not appear overnight. Confidence does not arrive fully formed. Progress compounds quietly when you keep showing up. A little becomes a lot when you do not stop.

As I thought about that, my mind went straight to family.

Barbi and I talk often about how important it is to model what starting looks like for Bella Love. Not just success, but beginnings. When we first became parents, we did not know what we were doing. Parenting was messy. Uncomfortable. Full of learning as we went. And it still is at times.

But that is the lesson. You do not wait until you feel ready. You start. You stay. You adjust. You grow.

I want Bella Love to see that when she starts something new, whether it is a goal, a habit, a challenge, or a season of life, it might feel awkward at first. It might look rough. And that is okay. Because starting is where growth begins.

Today feels like a good place to start. A new year. A clean slate. Forward motion.

So as this morning unfolds and we move into 2026, my encouragement is simple.

Start fresh.

Start where you are.

Move forward little by little.

This place is a place to start. And over time, you just might find that you love it.