A Little Bit Shy of Ready
“There is no better time than the present.” How many times have you heard that? And how many of those times did you roll your eyes just like you did now? I get it, it’s annoying. Partly because it sounds like something your mother would say; mostly because it’s true.
I have been thinking about starting this newsletter for years. And, if you rolled your eyes, there is likely something you’ve been thinking about starting too. A new workout plan, a passion project, that side hustle, a different lifestyle, even a new identity you deeply want to grow into. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been overthinking it, and procrastinating, and just dwelling in an endless pit of possibility.
Let me tell you something, nothing happens in the waiting.
So, What's the Problem?
“I just don’t feel ready.” WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?! The amount of times my brain has blurted that phrase at me is outrageous. But, more often than not, it’s what comes after that word that truly holds us back.
Ready for what? Ready to commit? Ready to show up perfectly? Ready to see what might actually come of it?
More often than not, its the fear that we might fail, that we might not be great at it, that we might not be - dare I say - perfect. It’s the fractured belief that with more time and more thinking that so called feeling of “ready” will come. But…it won’t. Because, nothing happens in the waiting.
I’s time to flip the script.
Instead of jumping three thousand steps ahead, ask yourself this: are you ready enough to just start?
Imperfectly. To make mistakes. To pivot. To go to ground zero and climb your way up, all the tangled way to where you want to go. So what if you don't have it all figured out? Trust that you will figure it out as you go. Because in the end, it’s not about that “perfect” performance, or “perfect” destination, it’s about the life you lived getting there.
Writing this newsletter isn’t about “having written a newsletter,” it’s about sitting on my couch, on the weekends, with a hot cup of coffee - like I am right now - and sharing my thoughts with you. It’s about reading what you have to say about the ideas that are floating around in the world right now. It’s about the process. The beautifully imperfect process. I don’t know about you, but that sounds way more fun anyways.
If that nagging desire isn’t an indication that you should catapult into your next challenge, I don’t know what is. Is your first try going to be your best work? Of course not! But, that’s okay because excellence doesn’t come magically. You’re not born being excellent - let alone perfect - at anything. It comes from being knee deep in the trenches. That level of “ready” is earned. So instead, aim for just a little bit shy of ready. I’d say that’s the perfect time to start.
So, let me ask you again: are you ready enough to just start?
I know I am. Is this the best piece of writing I have ever published? Probably not. But that’s okay, I have many more to come. So, here’s to taking risks, building dreams and kicking perfectionism out the curb.
I truly believe you can always turn your life around. Any week, any day, any minute is a blank canvas. Let’s paint your next masterpiece.
THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE:
TAKE ONE CONCRETE STEP TOWARDS THAT THING YOU HAVE BEEN AVOIDING.
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Current Favorites
🎧 Podcast I'm Loving Lately
Deep Questions with Cal Newport. I have been binging his podcast lately. He just released a book and a lot of his episodes talk about that theme.
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📒 My Always On Hand Notebook!
I'm about to finish the first notebook I started using as my go-to companion, over a year ago. This little notebook has changed my life.
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📖 Latest Read I Loved!
You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay. Lots I didn't like, even more things I loved. This book reads like much needed therapy.
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ICYMI
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Building Your Productivity System (Using One App)
In this video I teach you how to build a productivity system from scratch! And, for the busy folks, I walk you through how to use Akiflow to avoid having to jump around apps all day.
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Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed this week's newsletter! As always, happy to hear your thoughts on the topic ☺
Until next time,
