It all started with the swing set in our yard. It seemed like an insurmountable task, but I’d been wanting to hire someone to fix the swing set for a very long time. Some of the wood was broken, it needed painting, some pieces needed to be replaced, I didn’t even know if it made sense to fix it, but I gave it a try anyway. Confession time. It had been years since I had done any remodeling, fixing, or purchasing for our home. We are just always busy and the thought of starting home projects can feel overwhelming. The longer we delayed, the more projects got added to the list! Here is an interesting thing that happened. Once I picked up the phone to get an estimate, one thing led to another, and the swingset got fixed! Turns out that person gave us a good estimate for the deck, and then we found other people who gave us good prices on other things around the house. We have gotten more done in our house than I could have imagined. All because I made that first phone call.
A lot of things are like that. Don’t know where to go to school? Start asking questions. You aren’t sure where to work? Start filling out applications. Don’t know how much you owe? Start opening the bills. Everything starts with the first step. That first step can seem overwhelming. We get calls all the time from people who want to buy their first home. They get excited, they feel hopeful, they can even see it possible! Do you know where many of them get stuck? Sending the lender the paperwork to get preapproved. The idea of pulling up or finding all their financials feels overwhelming. But if they push through, if they send all their documents, they get rewarded with answers. If they qualify, great! We get to help them find their home. If they don’t, we get to help them put together a plan so they can qualify later. The important thing to remember is that if you never take that first step, you don’t know what you need to do next or what is even possible.
Taking the first step is like unraveling a ball of string. You find the first end of the string and start pulling. Even though you can’t see the middle yet, every pull brings you closer to it. Every step you take brings you closer to where you want to be. Doors start to open up just as you approach them. But you have to step forward first. It’s the magic of starting.