What’s the perfect first topic to write about? How do I convey something meaningful? What if it doesn’t hit home for anyone?

Those were just a few of the thoughts floating around my head as I stared at my laptop, thinking about how to kick off this post.

Writing has always been a challenge for me. Put me on a stage or in a conversation about leadership and I can speak for ages. Start a one-on-one conversation with me and I’ll talk your ear off.

But tell me to pick a topic and put it into writing - something that’s clear, concise, and actually keeps someone reading? Well… now I’m scared.

Still, one of my goals for 2025 (even if I’m a few months late) is to start putting the lessons I’ve learned and the beliefs I’ve built for myself down on paper and to start sharing them regularly.

I’m doing this for anyone who might be wrestling with similar questions, and for myself, because writing them out makes them real.

So what do I do in a moment like this, when the fear of messing up or not being good enough creeps in?

I close my laptop, sit on my comfy couch, dim the lights a bit, and take 15 minutes to do a mindfulness exercise, focusing on one belief I’ve held since college:
Action is better than inaction.

And then it clicks: let’s talk about action.

It’s so easy to get paralyzed by all the possibilities:

• Which one is the best?

• Is it worth my time?

• Am I heading in the right direction?

• What if I don’t feel included, successful, worthy?

• Should I really wear that Hawaiian shirt today or go more casual? (Okay, maybe that last one is just me.)

Hesitation, I’ve found, is okay when it gives us space to reflect and evaluate.

But when hesitation turns into inaction, when it becomes avoidance, that’s fear driving us instead of curiosity or courage.

So in those moments, I’ve learned to choose action. If it’s between taking a step forward or standing still, I pick action. And when there are multiple paths in front of me, I choose the one that feels right with both my head and my heart.

I know I’m not always going to make the right choice. I’ve taken many actions I would’ve done differently with hindsight. But I also have a long list of choices that, even if they didn’t lead where I expected, taught me something. Shaped me. Strengthened my resolve. Built my beliefs.

Sometimes those steps took me off course or down a bumpier road than I wanted. But I’ve chosen to believe that even those moments are part of a larger journey. That forward is still forward, even if it’s imperfect, awkward, or somewhat sideways.

So I hope the steps you took today are ones you can feel proud of. And if you’re still sitting on your own comfy couch, wondering whether you should do something about that idea, that project, that conversation, remember: even a small step is still a step forward.