Just Take the First Step

The boy and the horse were walking into the woods, and the boy grew anxious because he couldn’t see the path ahead.

“I can’t see a way through,” said the boy.

“Can you see your next step?”

“Yes.”

“Just take that,” said the horse.

― Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

This is such powerful advice for overthinkers. So often, we focus on the big goals, the distant future, or the end game, and we feel overwhelmed by how long and uncertain the journey seems. That feeling often paralyzes us, stopping us from taking the first step.

But the truth is, we don’t need to see the whole path to start moving forward. Sometimes, the bravest and most important thing we can do is just take that first step. Once we do, the next step becomes clearer, and then the one after that. Each step opens up new possibilities and reveals parts of the journey we couldn’t see before.

So if you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, don’t worry about the entire journey ahead. Just take that first step.