By Dawn Onley

There is so much emphasis placed on getting to the finish line that what’s forgotten is how intimidating it can be to start.

Taking that first step toward accomplishing a goal takes guts. It is bold. It signals to the universe that we are ready — even though we don’t have a clue yet how it’ll turn out. That’s okay. We will learn. We will figure it out. We need to have faith and trust the process. Trust our Creator. Trust ourselves.

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 we’re on our death beds, we’re not going to focus on failing or succeeding. We’re going to focus on the woulda, coulda, shouldas, or in other words, what we wish we would have done, what we regret not starting, and what dreams we 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.

Start today. Take one 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.

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

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.