There’s Always A Day One

Paulo Coelho wrote: "One day or day one. You decide."

I think about this a lot. Starting takes energy and it requires faith that the payoff will come, even when you can't see it yet. That gap between starting and seeing results is where a lot of good work stalls or stops.

My karate day one was a free trial for moms in the month of May. A few of us stepped onto the mat almost as a joke. Twelve years later, I am working toward my third-degree black belt. I could not have guessed that on day one. I started without knowing where it would take me, or how far I would go.

This week, I facilitated a Connected Communities Approach learning session with Anne Gloger. After the presentation a participant asked this question: "Where do we start? What is the starting point if we have a lot of things to address or if we have no immediate crisis?"

Great question. Some organizations are trying to stay grounded while everything around them shifts. Funding pressures. Program cuts. Increasing community need. Rising delivery costs. The problems are compounding. That complexity can get in the way of seeing where to start.

Here is what I know: the antidote to complexity is not a framework. It is relationships.

Start with a conversation. Talk to your team. Be honest about what is shifting and what feels uncertain. Then go wider. Connect with the community members you serve and ask for their perspective. Reach out to organizations navigating similar terrain. You do not need to have all the answers, you need to be in the room with people, listening and learning what is true for them right now, what they need, and how they can contribute to shared goals.

Oftentimes the starting point is a collective conversation. If you are looking for inspiration on how to start that conversation, explore the 10 Keys Toolkit: Building on Everyone's Strengths.

If you are ready for day one, let's connect.