How To Start a Project Before You're Ready

“What’s a blog?”

That question was my first step into what became “Going Green with Lisa Bronner”, a five-outlet channel that keeps my team of three very busy! It was the ultimate example of starting before being ready. I knew nothing about blogging!

It was my brother Mike (that would be Mike Bronner, aka President of Dr. Bronner’s) who in 2010 had suggested I write a blog as a more efficient way to answer the multitudinous and recurring email questions our family business received: “Can I use the soap to wash my face, hair, baby, dog, floor, car, laundry, windows?” “Who is Dr. Bronner?” “What’s Castile?”

He had me at “Efficient”—it’s one of my most favorite words. But I’d had my head buried in the sands of motherhood and missed the rise of the blogosphere.

It turned out—and maybe you knew this—that “blog” was a mashup of “web log,” first coined in 1999 and recognized as Merriam-Webster’s word of the year in 2004.

“So it’s writing? That’s posted online?” I summarized. “Where I can say whatever I want?”

“Basically, yes.”

Well, I could write, but I had never published my writing in any public form. But I did know a lot about the soap and family and company. And something like this would be useful—another of my favorite words. And so never having read a blog, with only the most simplistic understanding of what blogging entailed, I began writing my own.

My initial articles were long, dense, and picture-less. I’ve learned a lot since then about lightening up in my tone and sentence structure. About being a little kinder to the eyesight of my readers and that everyone likes some photography to break things up a bit. But even to this day, many years later, I hold my breath and close my eyes when I hit “Publish.” Because I still never think they’re ready. I never think they’re good enough. Every time I write a new article, this one included, it feels like I’m jumping into the void.

Now that I have quite a few more years under my belt, I am certain about one thing: I never would have felt ready to start writing publicly. I never would have known enough or have refined my skills enough. The reason I know this for sure is that all this time later, I still don’t feel ready. I still am learning. I’m still, I hope, improving.

(Full disclosure, I now have Patty and Sofia, two talented and savvy Going Green team members who do the actual posting, but there still comes that moment where I say, “go.” And I have to sit on my hands not to change one last thing. Though the beauty of a blog is that you can still edit even after it’s posted. Shhh. That’ll be our little secret.)

Why we never feel ready for a new endeavor

There’s a simple reason we never feel ready to begin something new: we’re not ready and never will be fully so. If the goal is big enough, ambitious enough, boundary-pushing enough, there definitely will be parts we don’t anticipate and skills we have to count on learning along the way.

There is only so much we can learn by reading, watching videos, attending seminars, meeting with mentors. Eventually we have to stop being the passive absorber of information and be the active do-er. Then the real learning begins. The best teacher indeed is experience.

Is perfection holding you back?

I used to scoff at the idea that I’m a perfectionist because I’m so very clearly far from perfect. But the more I’ve learned about what perfectionism is, the more I realize that I am definitely a closet perfectionist. I knew I was a procrastinator, but I didn’t realize that the reason behind my procrastination was the fear of failure, and failure meant doing something less than perfectly. If you don’t do something at all, you can’t fail at it. Maybe you knew that one, too.

4 phrases I’ve embraced to battle perfectionism

I have gathered a lot of well-turned maxims to wield in the face of perfection paralysis. These help me when I’m stuck. Maybe one of these will help you.

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the done. (My oldest son coined that one.)

Choose progress over perfection.

Sometimes good enough really is good enough.

These might sound like I’m settling for shoddy work, but really this is about practicing prioritization. There definitely are times to push through to as close to perfect as possible, but much of my daily work is not that. I’m not launching a space shuttle. I’m just writing a blog. Engaging with readers. And in my personal life, raising my kids, taking care of my house and pets, staying healthy.

I’ve resisted identifying myself as a writer because there are so many “real” writers out there. You know, the ones who sit down with enthusiasm and joy, whose words flow unhindered onto the page. Whose content never fails to inspire, amuse, distract, or inform. That’s not me. I sit down with dread. I write awkward, flabby, and ugly first drafts. I have to comb and comb and comb through my writing to get it to any point of shareability. But you know what I’ve learned? There are other authors that hate the writing process, too. They’re glad to have written, as am I, but the process? Ugh. Another truth? No one writes a beautiful first draft. First drafts exist to be bad.

What makes perfectionism so much worse in its paralysis is that it is one big lie. Perfect is impossible. I don’t even know what perfect would look like when it comes to writing, or helping someone, or raising children.

When I started writing my book, I learned super quick that my house is endlessly distracting. So, I rented space in the back storeroom of our local deli so I could focus. I spent hours and hours in that storeroom.

Starting before you’re ready is the only time to start

That’s how I come to this topic today: Start before you’re ready. Every January, I tackle a topic that’s more about inner well-being than what’s on the outside. For the rest of the year, how-tos about hair care or home fragrance will populate my writing calendar, but here in the year’s beginning, when the days are fresh and new, it’s time to step back, look up from everyday tasks, and glimpse a bigger picture.

All too soon, we’ll tuck our heads back down and get busy with our various directives, but let’s take this moment to make sure we’re going in the direction we want. That there’s not an obstacle that we’ve been avoiding instead of addressing. That the goal we’re aiming at on the horizon still resonates with us. It’s a good time to correct our course if needed.

This year I want to talk about starting those big goals we’ve dreamed of or longed for or would be deeply glad to attain. But they’re big and daunting and hard to grapple. They hover just out of reach, and for one reason or another, we dismiss them as unstartable and unattainable, and we relegate them to the, “if only” or “maybe someday.” What is that for you? A new hobby you’ve been wanting to try? Some education you’ve been meaning to get? A career shift that keeps tugging at you? A social group you’ve been longing to join? An act of service you’ve been called to? A habit you’ve been meaning to adopt?

A few other endeavors of my own that come to mind are moving from North Carolina to California pregnant and with an 18-month-old. I definitely wasn’t ready for that one. Or motherhood in general. Wowzers. Or that time my brother David (as in David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s) asked me to go speak on behalf of the California Prop 37 Right to Know campaign about labeling genetically modified foods—I knew NOTHING about political activism and visibly shook when speaking into a microphone. But I did it. Not only did I survive, but I learned things I never would have about myself, our political system, and the humanity of all people.

Patty and Sofia remind me that we were not “ready” to launch any of social channels when we started. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram… it was like stepping into the abyss, learning to navigate on the rushing river. But here we are!

To show you how far we’ve come, I want you to watch this video on cleaning a cutting board I made back in 2011. No pep. Dodging the camera with my eyes. Slouching. Do I even know how to smile?

Looking back on this still from an early Going Green video (on deodorizing a cutting board), I cringe at how rough it was. I had little idea what I was doing. But over the years, I’ve learned a lot.

Check how much I learned in 10 years in this spirited video about toilet cleaning! And I learned a good bit about having fun at work!

With a whole lot of coaching from trusted advisors, and bringing on board my amazing videographer Josh, my videos got a whole lot better looking and more fun, regardless of the topic.

Starting something new isn’t about being ready. It’s about gathering courage and taking that very first step. Starting something new is definitely a risk. But it’s an essential risk.

10 steps for starting…or starting over

This list of steps differs from one you might find elsewhere on my blog about cleaning kitchens or bathrooms. Nonetheless, even these bigger areas of life have some distinct steps to progress down.

1. Visualize your goals

Even without knowing exactly how you’ll get there, have some idea of where you want to go. Then, understand that your goals may change as you progress, and that’s ok. Because as you learn along the way, you may realize that a different goal is what’s needed or what you want. You may find a latent passion or ability within the original goal that surprises you. In many realms, from horseback riding to driving to learning a piece of music, I’ve been instructed not to look at where I am but at where I want to go. Visualizing your goals allows you to do that. So, whether it’s a book you want to write, a destination you want to reach, an organization you want to establish, identify that goal. Write it down. Put it in front of you in some way where you are reminded often.

2. Tell someone about your venture

There is nothing that makes a concept more real than saying it out loud, and even moreso when you say it out loud to another person. Identify someone you can talk to about your endeavor. Use this person as a sounding board, a source of encouragement, a motivator when times are tough.

Mentors have been a super valuable part of my journey, personally, professionally, relationally, spiritually. Many have providentially fallen in my path, others I’ve had to seek out. Learning from those who have gone before harnesses excellent efficiency, rather than figuring it all out on one’s own. Ask your questions. Be curious. When you’re stuck, don’t wallow in stuck-ness, but run your problem by other people.

3. Take one small step

Any endeavor begins with one step. Then another one. Sometimes we can’t even see beyond that next step, but we don’t necessarily need to. When I was paralyzed by the prospect of having said yes to writing a book and didn’t know where to start, I read Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird (see my coming point about learning from the experts). I had two takeaways that are short in words but momentous in impact. First was to write a crappy first draft (she didn’t say crappy, but that’s the gist). That’s the first step. Just write. Somewhere in there will emerge a kernel to grow from. My second takeaway, and whence the title comes, was the advice her dad gave to her brother who was daunted by having to write a research paper on birds: take them one bird at a time. That’s all we have to do. Write the first bird. Then the next.

4. Be willing to be a beginner

Here’s the hard reality: You have to be willing to be bad at something in order to get good at it. This is the only way. No one whom we admire for their ability or expertise started out that good. Don’t wait to be perfect or to have learned everything there is to learn before you begin. You won’t get good at it without beginning badly.

We’re all guilty of comparing our inner behind-the-scenes beginner’s mess to someone else’s polished up “highlights reel.” But everyone who’s good at something used to be bad at it. Are you willing to be a beginner?

Person under towel with bottle of Dr. Bronner's peppermint castile soap next to them. — *This is a real picture that really appeared on my blog in the early days. If I can survive after posting this publicly, you can put yourself out there in your own way.*

5. Be willing to be wrong

You will make mistakes. You will do things poorly. You will have to do things over. You likely will look back at your early days and cringe. Be ready to expose yourself as imperfect and in-process. Humility part of a successful journey.

6. Be a constant learner

You do not know everything you need to know. Whoever thinks they do is the most ignorant of us all. Be willing to learn. Be intentional about finding the training you need, whether that means taking courses, finding a mentor, reading, or saturating yourself in good examples of what you’re trying to do. One of the best pieces of advice I took was from Stephen King’s unparalleled book On Writing: “If you want to be a good writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.”

7. Allow certain people to critique you

I want to say this carefully: you must allow the critiques of some, and only some, people. You have hear from people who are qualified and will tell you the truth. The converse of this is also true, though: tune out critiques from the unqualified or non-truth tellers. However, you will not improve if you don’t allow critiques from trusted sources. By this I mean from sources who will tell you the good and the bad. Who are in your corner but also want to see you grow.

8. Be resilient and be flexible

Harness your inner elasticity that can adapt to unexpected needs, stretch around unforeseen hurdles. Because hurdles will come. I can guarantee that things will not go as planned. You may also realize there are more steps on the journey than you thought. Some more of my favorite words are flexibility, nimbleness, and resilience. The difference between those who achieve their aims and those who don’t is how readily they are thwarted by hiccups and humps. I endeavor to function at the intersection of “Hold all plans loosely” (my mantra during the pandemic years with three school-aged kids) and “So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-/It’s when things seem worst, You must not quit” (Edgar Guest’s bluntly titled poem “Don’t Quit”).

9. Trust that anything is figureoutable so long as you’re creative

There is a solution or workaround to any obstacle. The older I get, the more I have come to value creativity over raw ability. I don’t confine “creativity” to mere artistic ability. Creativity also encompasses problem-solving, outside-the-box thinking, novel approaches. When creativity is harnessed to resilience and hard work, there is nothing that can’t be figured out or worked around.

Another word I absolutely love is “scrappy.” This brings to mind images of tackling and tackling and tackling a problem from every angle, with unflagging energy. Be scrappy.

10. Celebrate small wins

This is essential. You have to celebrate what you accomplish. No one else will. No one else even knows what a hurdle you just overcame because it may not be visible. But you know. So pause and acknowledge it! Share it with that person you told about your goals. Raise a glass or give yourself a flower! And write it down for posterity. Because there will still be moments up ahead of slogging through the muck. Pull out these written reminders of what’s gone well. They will be a tremendous balm. Here’s the first entry in your journal of accomplishment: “January 27, 2026–I started.”

Questions to answer before you begin

Starting before you’re ready does not mean there is zero preparation. There are certain things to have in place before you begin your new adventure.

What are your first three steps? What is your goal?

You will not know all the middle steps but figure out your first steps and your objective. Have some ideas how you’re starting and where you want to end up. I was impressed by the importance of goal setting by that inveterate sage, the Chesire Cat in Alice in Wonderland:

Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?
The Cheshire Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.
Alice: I don’t much care where.
The Cheshire Cat: Then it doesn’t much matter which way you go.
Alice: …So long as I get somewhere.
The Cheshire Cat: Oh, you’re sure to do that, if only you walk long enough.

Not having an articulated goal seems extremely inefficient. And “inefficient,” as you might have guessed, is a bad word in my vocabulary.

What will be the cost?

It’s always a good idea to calculate the projected cost of an endeavor before you begin. As you calculate expenditures, bear in mind that money is only one type of cost. Projects also cost you time, space, mental capacity, and even emotion. There could be a health impact or a social impact. These may be temporary costs, but it’s best to be aware of them going in and to plan where the means to cover those costs will come from.

When I was writing my book, I knew it would cost me time and mental bandwidth. I was going to have to say “no” to much of the volunteering I’d been doing, as well as most social engagements, but it was temporary. It’s worth doing a cost-benefit analysis for large, life-altering ventures.

Here’s yet another instance of my jumping in to something I wasn’t fully prepared for: recording my audiobook. I can tell you, I started to regret discussing various nasty ingredients such as “methylchloroisothiazolinone” and its friends in my book. You want to try saying that?

What feedback are you getting from mentors?

I am ever thankful that I know people who are wiser than me. If you don’t have wise people in your life, get some. Bounce your ideas off of them. If you repeatedly get the advice from reputable, experienced people, with knowledge in the field that you should not start down a particular path, or don’t start yet, give their reasons due consideration.

Is the timing right?

Sometimes now really isn’t a good time to start that something, but be assured that “not now” doesn’t mean “not ever.” When I first contemplated writing a book back in 2011, the advice I got was “not yet.” This was because I needed more writing experience, I needed more of an audience in place, and I needed more exposure. I guess you could say that my book project started back then, but those early steps were about building an audience and gaining experience. Eventually, a decade later, I actually started writing Soap & Soul. As you look at timing and the project, it might be that there are earlier steps than you first identified, but they all end up part of the journey in the end.

Picture proof that however unprepared you might feel when you start, you can still accomplish your goals! My book published in October 2023!

What other unfinished tasks do you have?

I am a recovering non-finisher. I have a long and notorious history of starting and, for one reason or another, not finishing projects—from small tasks like folding a load of laundry to larger tasks like tiling a bathroom. I would leave a trail of deeply unsatisfying mess behind me. One year, in frustration, I chose “finish” as my word of the year, which helped me remember to stick with the task at hand either until I finished it or intentionally chose not to finish it. With either option, I needed to clean up after the task.

I’m still not ready…and never will be

When I contemplated writing this article, I was daunted. I procrastinated starting it. I thought I should read more articles on the topic of motivation and courage. Maybe watch some TED talks. If I continued in that vein, we wouldn’t have an article. So I took Anne’s advice and went bird-by-bird until I had my first ugly draft. Once I did that, I was on my way with something to comb through and refine and wrestle with until I had what you’re reading now. But I’m still going to hold my breath and close my eyes when I tell Sofia it’s ready to publish.

Every one of us is living in a state of incompleteness. We’re all in-process. Maybe my sharing my in-process-ness will help someone else out there come to that point of realizing, “You don’t have to know everything to do something.” I can’t wait to see what your “something” is!