By Dawn Onley

Setting your sights on a goal is the easy part. Taking steps to pursue the goal is when it gets tough. And that means actually starting – not talking about it, but doing it.

Everyone heralds the finish line, but it can be more intimidating to start a new thing, to begin the process of accomplishing a goal. Beginning a new thing is bold. It signals to the universe that you are ready. It also means you don’t have a clear sign yet of how it’ll turn out. And’s that okay. You will figure it out. Trust the process. Trust yourself. You may stumble, or even fall. That’s okay. Just get back up, dust yourself off and continue the journey.

Many of us don’t start because we are scared of failure. As crazy as it sounds, some of us are even scared of success. Neither failure nor success matters as much as trying. When you are on your death bed, you’re not going to focus on failing or succeeding. You’re going to focus on the woulda, coulda, shouldas, or in other words, what you wish you would have done, what you regret not starting, and what dreams you never realized.

A few years ago, a palliative nurse named Bronnie Ware, who had spent years caring for people within weeks of dying, began recording their last wishes. When she asked them if they would do anything differently, she started to notice some themes emerging. She wrote about the top five themes in her blog called Inspiration and Chai.

The number one regret of those dying was this: “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

It all starts with the decisions we make today.

Today is Monday – the start of a brand new work week. What a great day to take a small step towards a goal. Make the phone call you’ve been putting off. Create a list of goals. Jot down your first journal entry. Register for a class. Take a stroll around the block at lunchtime. Call a lender and finally get your credit score to see where you stand. Create a strategy for paying down debt. Turn off the TV, pick up a book and start reading. Start an investment account and earmark it for a goal you have. Research your next move. If your goal is to experiment with new cuisines, whip up a new recipe.

Try something different. Try a new approach. Start taking steps that will bring you closer to the life of your dreams. Start it, today. Tomorrow isn’t promised.

I’m spending my lunch hour researching adult swimming classes. I took a class a few years ago and learned how to glide and float, but now it’s time for me to pick it back up again so that I can finally learn how to swim. It’s great timing since I started my toddler son in swimming classes this past Saturday.

Let’s summon the courage to start a new thing, right now. Let’s make today the perfect day to begin living the life we imagined.

What will you start today? Leave a comment and let us know. There’s power in proclaiming it.