You Don’t Have to Be Good at Meditation—You Just Have to Begin

I hear it all the time: “I’m not good at meditation.” Maybe you’ve said it yourself. I used to say it.

You sit down, close your eyes, try to breathe… and suddenly you’re thinking about your inbox, what’s in the fridge, or something you said in 2003. The next thing you know, you’re labeling yourself a “bad meditator” and calling it quits.

Here’s the truth: you don’t have to be good at meditation. You just have to begin.

This post is for you if you’ve ever felt like your brain is too busy, your life too full, or your attention span too short. I’m going to share what meditation really is, why it’s not about doing it perfectly, and how just a few minutes a day can shift everything.

Meditation Is Not About Clearing Your Mind

Let’s clear this up: your mind is not supposed to go blank.

One of the biggest myths I hear—especially from working moms and busy professionals—is that meditation requires total stillness or silence. Not true. Meditation is about awareness, not emptiness. It’s about noticing what’s happening without reacting to it. You’re not failing when thoughts show up; you’re succeeding when you notice them.

When I first started meditating, I’d get so frustrated with my mind. I thought the goal was to turn it off. Now I understand the goal is to simply turn towards it with presence and curiosity.

You Can Start Small and Still Get Big Results

You don’t need 30 minutes a day. You need five to start.

Science shows that even short, consistent meditation practices create measurable changes in the brain, especially in areas related to focus, emotional regulation, and compassion. A few deep breaths between meetings. Five minutes before you open your laptop. Five minutes before bed. It all counts.

There was a time in my life when the only place I could reliably meditate was in the car in my driveway, because it was the only quiet space I had. And you know what? That was enough. It kept me steady during some of the hardest seasons of my life.

The Only Way to Get Good at Meditation… Is to Keep Showing Up

There’s no perfect meditation—just the one you do.

You don’t need to master meditation. You need to meet yourself in it. Whether you’re sitting on a cushion or sitting at your desk, repeating a mantra or just breathing, you’re already doing the work. The power is in the showing up, especially when it feels hard or messy.

My personal mantra practice has become one of the most grounding parts of my day, but I didn’t land there overnight. It came from starting again and again, even when it felt like nothing was happening. The consistency became the transformation.

You don’t need to clear your mind. You don’t need to sit for 30 minutes. And you don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to begin.

If meditation has ever felt intimidating or out of reach, I hope this post reminded you that small, consistent moments matter. That it’s okay to start where you are—with five minutes, a few deep breaths, and a willingness to show up.

Want a place to start? I’d love to gift you Start Small: A 5-Minute Practice for Presence. It’s free, and it’s helped a lot of people begin again—myself included.

👉 Grab it here and let that be enough for today.

Here’s to new beginnings, Carol