What is really causing your delay?

One of the greatest obstacles to progress is not a lack of ability, resources, or opportunity. Often, it is waiting for the “right” conditions.

Lately, God has been teaching me this lesson in a very personal way.

For months, I have been talking about creating my Start Where You Are series. I know why I want to do it. I know who I want to help. I even have ideas for many of the workouts and lessons.

Yet somehow, I keep finding reasons to delay.

I don’t have enough time.

My filming area isn’t ideal.

The lighting in my basement isn’t great.

My equipment isn’t perfect.

I’m not completely sure how I want to structure everything.

The reality is that every one of those reasons sounds valid. But if I’m honest, they all lead to the same result: not starting.

I’ve heard many content creators say that your first video won’t be very good. Neither will your second. Or your tenth. Some even joke that your first hundred videos are simply the price of learning.

At first, that thought was discouraging.

Then I realized something important.

If my first hundred videos are going to be imperfect anyway, delaying them doesn’t make them better. It only delays the learning process.

The same principle applies to many areas of life.

We wait until we have more time.

We wait until we have more money.

We wait until we have better equipment.

We wait until we feel more confident.

We wait until we know exactly what we’re doing.

Meanwhile, God may simply be asking us to take the next step.

This tendency isn’t limited to business projects or content creation. I see it all the time in fitness.

Someone tells me they don’t have time for a workout because they can’t fit in thirty minutes.

So they do nothing.

But what if they have one minute?

What if they could do five wall pushups?

What if they could march in place while their coffee brews?

What if they could do five sit-to-stands from a chair before leaving for work?

Those small actions may seem insignificant, but they create momentum.

Five wall pushups today can become ten tomorrow.

A one-minute walk can become five.

Five minutes can become thirty.

Most transformation doesn’t happen in giant leaps. It happens through hundreds of small steps taken consistently over time.

This reminds me of Zechariah 4:10:

“For who hath despised the day of small things?” (KJV)

We often despise small beginnings because we are focused on the finished product.

We want the completed business, the stronger body, the healthier lifestyle, the finished book, or the polished ministry.

God often focuses on the next faithful step.

When God called Abraham, He didn’t hand him a detailed roadmap. He simply said, “Go.”

When Jesus called His disciples, He didn’t provide a five-year strategic plan. He simply said, “Follow Me.”

When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River, the waters did not part while they stood safely on the shore discussing every possible outcome. The priests had to step into the water first.

Action preceded revelation.

Faith required movement.

Sometimes we disguise fear as preparation.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. Planning itself is not wrong. Scripture praises wisdom and preparation. Jesus spoke of counting the cost before building a tower, and Proverbs commends diligence and foresight.

But there is a difference between planning and postponing.

Planning prepares us to move forward.

Postponing keeps us standing still.

At some point, preparation must give way to obedience.

I’ve noticed that most things are rarely as difficult as I imagine them to be. The workout I don’t feel like doing usually feels good once I start. The project I’ve been avoiding often takes less time than I expected. The thing I’ve been overthinking usually isn’t nearly as overwhelming as I imagined.

The anticipation was worse than the reality.

Jesus said:

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34, NKJV)

Many of us are exhausted not because of what we are doing, but because of what we are imagining.

We carry tomorrow’s responsibilities, next month’s concerns, and next year’s uncertainties before they ever arrive.

No wonder we feel overwhelmed.

As I write this, I realize that God may be asking me to live out the very message I want to teach through my Start Where You Are series.

The series doesn’t need perfect lighting.

It doesn’t need perfect equipment.

It doesn’t need perfect videos.

It simply needs a beginning.

Maybe that’s the lesson God is teaching me right now.

Start where you are.

Not where you wish you were.

Not where you plan to be next year.

Not when conditions are perfect.

Start with what you have.

Start with what you know.

Start with the time available today.

Whether that’s recording a video, taking a short walk, doing five wall pushups, reading a chapter of Scripture, or taking one small step toward a goal God has placed on your heart.

Don’t despise small beginnings.

Don’t let anticipation become procrastination.

Don’t stay standing at the starting line.

Move forward in faith.

Because God can bless a small step taken in obedience far more than a perfect plan that never leaves the drawing board.