I think it is appropriate that my first Esquire's Corner blog post shares the message to Just Start!

I'll be the first one to tell you that, even though I've spent a lot of time in front of people, I'm scared to start a blog. Given years of speaking and presenting in one of the most high-stress environments anywhere—the courtroom—why would I be scared to start a blog? It's simple. Because I don't know how to blog.

Isn't that the way it always is? I can't tell you how many experiences I've missed out on in my life because I didn't know how to do something, and therefore, I didn't start. Maybe you are the same.

A few months ago, one of my lamps stopped working. It was one of those three-way bulbs, and only one of the settings lit up. In the past, I would have thrown it away in frustration because I certainly wasn't going to pay someone to fix a lamp, and I just knew I couldn't do anything about it because "I'm not handy."

But a thought came to mind: "Maybe, just maybe, I could figure this out." After a short time on Google and YouTube, I'd figured out the basics. I went to the hardware store and bought a new socket. I replaced it myself. I was so proud of myself. But when I plugged in the lamp, it still didn't work. I almost quit, but then I thought to myself: "I am a relatively bright guy; this can't be that hard."

More Google and YouTube. And then I realized I'd gotten the wrong type of socket. So I went back to the hardware store, returned the wrong one, and picked up the right one. A little more tinkering and I had a working lamp with three brightness settings just as was intended. 

Just Start. You'll learn along the way. I did. And I'm no better than you or anyone else. In fact, I'm a lot less skilled in such things. But I figured it out. 

Hanging on the wall in front of me in my home office is a simple framed statement. It reads simply, "Just Start." It is a constant reminder to me—every time I lift my head—to stop making excuses, to stop worrying about all the things I don't know, to stop approaching things with fear—and to Just Start.

The road ahead may seem long and winding and cold. But if I don't get going, I'm going to drop dead right where I am now. I know it sounds obvious, but it is the first step to every undertaking, every challenge, every journey, every success: Just Start.