Start Strong, Even When You Think You Can’t
Start Strong. Take the leap.
So, here’s a little success hack I’ve picked up along the way: Start Strong.
Not perfect. Not fearless. Not with all your ducks lined up like some Pinterest-worthy vision board. Just strong—to the best of your ability, with what you have, right now. Position yourself in a way that not only gets your mindset right but sets you up to actually see things through.
Now, if you’re anything like me (or like a whole lot of us out here), you’re reading this and thinking:
"Oh, so you’re saying I need to have my life together before I even begin? If my finances ain’t right, if my confidence is shaky, if I don’t have the perfect plan, I might as well sit this one out?"
Oh really? Point to the sentence where I actually said that. I’ll wait. (Smile.)
See, that’s not what we’re doing here. That’s that perfectionist nonsense that keeps too many of us from even getting in the game. What I actually said was, start strong—to the best of your ability, with what you have in the moment.
Because that’s where the magic happens. That’s where you get real creative. That’s where you stop looking at what’s missing and start leveraging what’s already within reach—the good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent—and flipping it into fuel to get where you need to go.
Everything You Need is Already in the Room
Let me say this louder for the folks in the back: You already have something to work with. I don’t care if it’s a notebook full of ideas, a story nobody else can tell, a support system of two solid people, or just pure audacity. You’ve got something—and that’s where you start.
The problem? Too many of us keep looking around, waiting for some big, dramatic “I’m finally ready” moment. Spoiler alert: It’s not coming.
You don’t need a whole new life to begin. You don’t need permission. You don’t need for the kids to be grown, the money to be stacked, or the fear to disappear. You need to start where you stand and trust that whatever the journey requires, you will pick up along the way.
You know why? Because you’ve been doing this. Every hard thing you’ve ever been through, you figured it out as you went.
That breakup you swore would break you? You lived through it.
That job you didn’t feel qualified for? You showed up and did the work.
That time you were struggling, and you had to pull it together for the people counting on you? You made it happen.
The evidence is all over your life. You’ve been starting strong—you just haven’t been giving yourself credit for it.
Nothing is Wasted—Unless You Let It Be
Finding treasure in “trash”
I want you to hear me when I say this: Nothing in your life is wasted.
Not the struggles. Not the failures. Not the heartbreaks. Not even the nights you cried yourself to sleep wondering how the hell you were going to make it.
It all counts. Every single piece of it.
And if you’re bold enough, smart enough, and real enough to flip the script—to stop seeing your past as baggage and start seeing it as building blocks—then you’ll realize something:
💡 You already have your launchpad.
This shirt, this idea, this history, these experiences, this love, this abandonment, this heartbreak, this survival—all of it is raw material for your next level. The only question is: Are you going to use it?
Or are you going to sit on it, waiting for some imaginary, problem-free version of yourself to show up and get things started?
Spoiler alert (again): That version of you doesn’t exist.
The real you? The one who’s been through some things, learned some lessons, and still has the nerve to dream, create, and believe in what’s next? She’s more than enough.
Success is a Decision—Not a Destination
Starting strong isn’t about having it all together—it’s about saying yes to what you already control and turning the tides in your favor.
It’s not magic. It’s you, making a decision.
A decision to stop waiting and start moving. A decision to work with what’s in your hands instead of wishing for what’s not. A decision to create as you go, trusting that each step forward will bring the next piece into place.
It’s you looking at everything you’ve been through and saying:
"This? This will not break me. This will build me. And I’m going to make every last bit of it count."
What’s Your Move?
Now that I’ve said my piece, it’s your turn:
✨ What’s one thing you have right now that you can use to start strong?
✨ What’s one small step you can take TODAY to get moving?
ABOUT THE BLOGGER
Dr. Sagashus Levingston is an author, entrepreneur and PhD holder. She has two fur babies, Maya and Gracie, six children (three boys and three girls), and they all (including her partner) live in Madison, WI. She loves all things business, is committed to reminding moms of their power, and is dedicated to playing her part in closing the wealth gap for people of color and women. She believes that mothering is a practice, like yoga, and she fights daily to manage her chocolate intake. The struggle is real, y’all…and sometimes it’s beautiful.
Follow her on Instagram: @infamous.mothers