Because every restart proves you haven’t quit — and ToughBaby never quits.
I almost didn’t sit down to write this. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I’ve started before. Too many times.
I fly high with the new beginning, then lose steam, then quit. Every attempt feels like proof that I can’t stick with it.
And honestly, I’m tired of the cycle. Tired of starting over.
ToughBaby: You’re not tired of starting, Jane. You’re tired of stopping. There’s a big difference.
Maybe. But it’s hard to keep facing myself, knowing how many unfinished journals, ditched “grand ideas” and half-done projects I’ve abandoned. (You should see my craft room!) It’s embarrassing and frankly, humiliating.
ToughBaby: And yet—you’re here. Right now. Writing. Do you see the pattern? For all the times you’ve walked away, you keep finding your way back. That’s not weakness, Jane. That’s grit.
But what if this ends up the same as before? What if I let myself down again? I don’t even have hope anymore.
ToughBaby: Then you’ll get up again. That’s who you are. You don’t need to know the finish line today. You don’t need the whole map. All you need is the next step, and you’re already taking it.
It feels too small. Too simple.
ToughBaby: That’s exactly why it works. We keep thinking we need some grand plan, the perfect schedule, the magic answer.
But the truth is, strength comes from small, consistent steps. Not the dramatic ones. Not the flashy ones. The quiet ones.
So writing this post… this counts?
ToughBaby: It more than counts! This is you, refusing to stay stuck. This is you practicing the muscle of “keep going.” The map will form as you walk. The clarity comes from the doing.
Sigh! I know I’ll just stumble tomorrow.
ToughBaby: Then tomorrow you ask yourself one question: WWTBD? (What would ToughBaby do?) And the answer is always the same: take the next step.
Starting again doesn’t mean you’ve failed; it means you’re still in the fight. One step is enough today.
WWTBD? She’d take the next step. So that’s what I’m doing.
xo Jane
