Several years ago, I sat at a friend’s kitchen table with two cups of tea, open notebooks, and hearts full of dreams too big to whisper. We were speaking vision into the air – God-inspired desires that had lived inside us for years.
In that sacred moment, she said something someone once told her:
“A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today.”
Whew. That sentence didn’t land softly; it cut straight through every excuse, every delay, every “I’ll do it later.” It made me face a question I want to ask you today:
A year from now, what will you wish you had started today?
Because let’s be honest…
You already feel something stirring.
Something shifting.
Something God has whispered into your heart more than once.
Yet something else keeps holding you back:
- Fear
- Doubt
- Perfectionism
- Uncertainty
- People’s opinions
- The illusion of “the right time”
And because staying where you are feels safer than stepping into what God is calling you to do, you hesitate.
But here’s the truth:
You can feel safe and still feel stuck.
You can feel comfortable and still feel unfulfilled.
You can feel secure and still suffocated.
Comfort never creates calling.
Comfort never produces purpose.
Comfort never delivers destiny.
Are You Delaying What God Has Assigned to You?
Recently, I spoke with a woman who wants to start a nonprofit serving young girls rescued from human trafficking. Her passion was undeniable. Her calling was clear.
But then she said, “I think I’ll wait nine more years, until I retire.”
Nine. Whole. Years.
Nine years of delaying the assignment God placed in her soul.
Nine years those girls might go unnoticed.
Nine years of playing it safe instead of stepping out in faith.
Purpose is not meant to be postponed.
Callings are not meant to be shelved.
Assignments are not designed to wait until life becomes comfortable.
It reminded me of Esther, trembling with fear as she stood at a crossroads. Mordecai told her: “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
Maybe this – right now – is your time.
Not next year.
Not after retirement.
Not once the fear disappears.
Now.
The Myth of Feeling Ready
One of fear’s most convincing lies is: “Wait until you feel ready.”
Let me help you today:
You will never feel fully ready for what God is calling you to do.
You were never meant to.
Because if you felt ready, you wouldn’t need Him.
Think about it:
- Moses didn’t feel ready.
- Jeremiah didn’t feel ready.
- Gideon didn’t feel ready.
- Esther didn’t feel ready.
- And most of us don’t feel ready either.
God doesn’t call the ready. He calls the willing.
What If I Mess Up?
Let’s address the fear many women quietly hold:
“What if I fail?”
“What if I make a mistake?”
“What if I get it wrong?”
God already knew you wouldn’t do it perfectly. And He still called you.
Proverbs reminds us: “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)
Which means:
- You can start unsure… and God will steady you.
- You can begin imperfectly… and God will guide you.
- You can stumble… and God will redirect you.
Your purpose is not delicate.
Your calling is not fragile.
God’s plan is not dependent on your flawlessness.
Years ago, I launched a program I was excited about. I prayed, prepared, and promoted it… and only one person signed up.
Just one.
At first, I felt disappointed and embarrassed. But God used that moment to redirect me, strengthen me, and shape me. It was a “failure” that became a foundation.
Here’s what I learned:
Obedience is never failure.
Fear is a Liar
Fear will whisper:
- “You’re too old.”
- “You’re too late.”
- “You’re not qualified.”
- “People will judge you.”
- “You don’t have what it takes.”
- “Who do you think you are?”
But God says: “…I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
Fear restricts.
God releases.
Fear paralyzes.
God propels.
Fear lies.
God leads.
A woman I coached once hesitated for months to launch her coaching business because she feared criticism.
One day, I asked her: “But what if you don’t fail? What if God actually uses your voice to set someone else free?”
Sometimes it’s not failure we fear, it’s responsibility, visibility, and success.
But if God called you, He already equipped you.
Someone Needs What You Carry
Let me remind you: Your calling is not just for you.
Someone needs:
- Your story
- Your wisdom
- Your healing
- Your testimony
- Your courage
- Your gifts
- Your voice
God placed something in you that is the answer to someone else’s prayer.
Imagine if:
- Moses refused to lead
- Esther stayed silent
- David remained in the field
- Mary said no
- Jesus said, “Father, this is too much”
Your obedience matters more than you know.
A Year From Now…
Let’s come back to that powerful statement: “A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today.”
A year from now, you could:
- Have written the book
- Launched the business
- Started the ministry
- Gone back to school
- Created the program
- Opened the nonprofit
- Strengthened your faith
- Deepened your confidence
- Transformed your life
Or…
You could look back, wishing you hadn’t let fear steal another year.
The difference?
Not your qualifications.
Not your age.
Not your circumstances.
Your willingness to start scared.
What Doing It Scared Actually Looks Like
Doing it scared doesn’t mean doing it perfectly.
It simply means:
1. Take the smallest possible step.
Your first step doesn’t have to be big—it just has to be taken.
2. Acknowledge your fear, but refuse to obey it.
Fear may speak, but it doesn’t get to lead.
3. Make a decision.
Say, “I’m doing this,” and don’t let your mind negotiate you out of obedience.
4. Move quickly.
Fear grows when you wait; faith grows when you move.
5. Expect discomfort.
Growth always feels uncomfortable at first.
6. Trust that God meets movers, not waiters.
He establishes your steps as you take them.
7. Celebrate progress.
Every step is worth acknowledging.
God Will Carry You
If God called you, He will carry you.
If He assigned you, He will assist you.
If He positioned you, He will protect you.
If He planted the dream, He will provide the resources.
He never asked you to walk alone. He only asked you to trust Him enough to start.
Your Turn
So, let me ask one last time: A year from now, what will you wish you had started today?
Woman of God, start the book.
Launch the program.
Open the nonprofit.
Write the curriculum.
Begin the ministry.
Take the class.
Say yes to the calling.
Do it scared.
Do it unsure.
Do it trembling.
Do it praying.
Do it imperfectly.
Because when you take that first shaky, courageous, obedient step, God will meet you there.
