Just Start: How to Begin When You Don’t Have a Plan

Just last week, right in the middle of reading Beth Moore’s descriptive and rolling words from her new book, Chasing Vines, I heard a message roll across my heart, “Just start.” The words on the page had nothing to do with procrastination so I just ignored the message and tried to keep reading. I just wanted to find a little calm in the chaos of the morning. But I couldn’t concentrate on the words that usually captivate me! I just kept hearing, “Just start.”

Now, I’m a woman of faith and I believe that God was trying to send me a message that morning. Persistently. So I wrote the words on the margin of the page I was on, closed the book, and walked downstairs to my computer and started.

Start what? Good question.

I’m not even sure I know the answer to that question exactly yet. What I do know is I am supposed to start writing again. To just start sounds like an awfully vague assignment if you ask me. I would like more details and next steps if I’m being honest. A plan. Write about what? To who? How often? When?

But God gave me none of those details.

I guess I’m just going on a journey.

And really that might be the biggest hurdle of an endeavor, the starting. I’ve noticed that pattern in my life in many seasons both personally and professionally. I’m a dreamer. Creating ideas, recipes, and products is my jam. I start projects. I rarely finish them. I’m not great at the follow through.

I think its something about the starting feeling unsafe to me. Ideas are safe. Dreams are protected. No harm. No foul.

But once you start all bets are off. Nothing is safe. Nothing is protected. Things can get broken. And even though you chart a course you can’t always control where you end up. Storms knock you off course. Redirection is the name of the game and resilience is your prize.

Just start.

My husband often says that the journey is more important than the destination. Turns out you can’t go on a journey if you refuse to open your front door and just start. Will I stumble and trip on my way out the door? Probably. Will I see the path clearly ahead of me? Probably not. Will I still go? Absolutely.

This is my journey… welcome to it.

~Raychel

Before you go, here are 3 ways to stay in touch: 

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