The start of any decorating project is exciting especially when you begin with a blank canvas. There’s unlimited potential in what can become of the space and surely, the final reveal will be much better than when you started—won’t it?

Conversely, a blank canvas can be terrifying for some. With a hopeful client and an empty space staring back at you simultaneously the expectation to perform can often times be too much to bear. Self-doubt starts to form. What if you ruin the space, misinterpret what the clients wants, or simply can’t come up with the ideas you need to bring the space into its fullest potential?

If we step back and evaluate this scenario, then we can also recognize how these self-defeating attitudes play out in other areas of our life. You’ve made a mess of things in the past…failed to reach your goal…experienced a divorce…dissolved partnership…made bad business decisions. The good news is that each day holds a fresh start and the potential for greatness. I believe God provides new mercies every morning and that greatness isn’t reserved for a chosen few.

The key is to replace the fear with belief. Belief that you can and you will successfully plan, execute, and reach out for support when you don’t have the answers. In the words of author David J. Schwartz, “Action cures fear.” As scared as you may be, you have to take the first step even if it is a small one. Imagine your goal is to get a heavy wheelbarrow from one side of the yard to the other. You take a deep breath, lift with all of your might and take the first step. Then another step, then another. What happens is that the momentum from your first few steps will help to push you to the other side with less effort. The worst thing you can do is stop. For if you do, then the process starts all over again. 

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So next time you are faced with the fear of a blank canvas, embrace it as a fresh start—another opportunity for greatness. Cure the fear with action by taking the first step that will push you forward in the desired direction. Everyday commit to taking another step, and then another. Before you know it the end will be in clear view.

What strategies do you use to embrace a fresh start? Please share with us in the comments section.

Image via Angelina Litvin