It will work or it won’t. But even if it doesn’t, you’re still making progress.

As an entrepreneur and online content creator, there’s a line I regularly repeat to myself when I’m trying something new, creating a new form of content, or building a new aspect of my online business.  It’s a line that I often repeat to those I’m mentoring as well, particularly if they’re mulling over a new idea and hesitating a little.

I frequently say, “It will work or it won’t, but even if it doesn’t, you’re still making progress.”

In life, we often hesitate to take the next step unless we’re sure the outcome will be successful. Whether it’s launching a business, starting a ministry, beginning a creative project, or taking a relational risk, there’s something in us that craves certainty. We want guarantees before we move. But again, please let me remind you: it will work or it won’t, but even if it doesn’t, you’re still making progress.

That mindset can be transformational—especially for leaders, creators, and anyone trying to follow a God-given calling. The fear of failure can paralyze us, but failure isn’t the enemy. Stagnation is. When we view outcomes as the only indicator of success, we overlook the refining, maturing, and redirecting process God often does through the very things that don’t “work out.”

Movement Is Better Than Stagnation

Too often, we confuse movement with perfection. We hold back, waiting for ideal conditions—more money, more clarity, more experience, more affirmation. But the truth is, clarity often comes through movement. When you step forward, even into uncertainty, you're learning, growing, and clarifying what God may be shaping you to do next.

Think of Abraham. God didn’t give him the full roadmap. He simply said, “Go to the land I will show you.” That’s it. The blessing was in the going, not just in the outcome. If Abraham had waited for full certainty, he may never have left his homeland.

Likewise, your first step might not lead to the destination you imagined, but it’s still forward motion.

At present, I’m overseeing two very healthy online platforms.  These platforms allow me to serve tens of thousands of people on a weekly basis, hundreds of thousands on a monthly basis, and millions of people on a yearly basis.  These platforms also provide me with multiple sources of income that allow me to take good care of my family and bless the people and ministries I care deeply about.  

For me to experience the present level of blessing that I’m enjoying, I had to trust God enough to get in motion first.

Failure Isn’t Final—It’s Formative

Some of the most valuable lessons come wrapped in disappointment. When something doesn’t work, that doesn’t mean you’re off course. It might mean the course is being refined.  Your first podcast might not grow.  The initial topic of your YouTube channel might be too broad.  Your first lead magnet might not convert.  That’s OK!

Thomas Edison famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Each “failed” attempt brought him closer to a breakthrough. But the real victory was that he kept trying. He stayed in motion.

In Scripture, Peter stepped out of the boat. Did he sink? Yes. But he also walked on water. The other disciples stayed in the boat and missed that miraculous moment. Peter may have faltered, but Jesus used the experience to shape his bold faith.

Progress Isn’t Always Visible

One of the hardest truths to accept is that some of your greatest progress won’t feel like progress at all. You might feel like you’re going in circles, or even backward, but God is working behind the scenes. He’s maturing your character, sharpening your vision, and teaching you resilience.

Joseph spent years in prison before stepping into his leadership calling. David was anointed as king long before he wore a crown. Both could have easily believed that their “progress” had stalled—but in reality, God was building something deeper in them.

Sometimes, the most important changes happen in you, not around you.

Obedience Is the Goal—Not Just Success

In a culture obsessed with results, we need to recover a biblical view of progress. God doesn’t call you to outcomes; He calls you to obedience.

When you step out in faith—even if the thing doesn’t work—you’re honoring the Lord. You're showing Him that your trust is in His guidance, not just your results. And in the process, He shapes your soul for greater assignments down the road.

Paul’s ministry was often filled with hardship. He was shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, and misunderstood. If we judged his journey by “success metrics,” it might look like a failure. But God used every detour, every delay, and every dead-end to accomplish something eternally fruitful.

What You Learn Becomes the Foundation for What’s Next

Every misstep gives you data. Every setback reveals a new insight. Every time something “doesn’t work,” you’ve just eliminated an option and moved one step closer to what will.

And more importantly, each attempt builds your endurance, your faith, and your courage. You become a better leader, thinker, and servant—not because everything worked, but because you kept showing up.

Even if this project fails, you’re not the same person you were when you started. You’ve changed. You’ve grown. And that’s progress.

So What’s Holding You Back?

If you’re hesitating to move forward because you don’t know if it will succeed, let this truth sink in: you don’t need a guarantee to get going. You need faith, humility, and the willingness to grow through the journey.

Whether it works or not isn’t the point. Whether you move forward in faith—that’s what matters most.

God often blesses the step, not just the result. And even when your plans fail, His purpose for your life doesn’t.

Some Final Thoughts...

If you're standing at the edge of something uncertain, hear this clearly: take the step.

Yes, it might work.
Yes, it might not.
But either way, God is using it.

You’re not wasting time. You’re not going in circles. You’re not failing. You’re moving. And God works powerfully through forward motion.

So go ahead—start the thing, take the risk, speak the truth, write the book, launch the ministry, have the conversation.

It will work or it won’t. But even if it doesn’t, you’re still making progress.