Start Before You’re Ready

The hardest part about starting anything is actually starting. I’ve watched too many people fail to achieve their life goals simply because they’re afraid to make the first move. This is especially true for perfectionists, who rely on conditions being perfect before taking any action. “I can’t exercise without a gym membership!” “I need an hour to write, but I only have 20 minutes, so I’ll start tomorrow!” “I can’t message that disturbingly hot guy on Tinder! He’s probably a bot!”

“So…I won’t do anything.”

Clearly, this perfectionist mindset isn’t all that perfect. If anything, it spawns an annoying case of “paralysis by analysis,” continuously overthinking things to the point of inaction. How can you possibly move ahead in life when you’re always doubting your ability to make the next move? Well, you can’t. In this way, perfectionism is a crippling excuse for “I’m scared shitless.”

When we are too afraid to take the leap, we often rationalize our inaction by claiming that conditions aren’t perfect. “I just need…” (insert: more money, more confidence, even more money, more time, more equipment, more MORE). This is a time-sucking cop-out. We wait and wait and wait to “feel ready,” while our dreams die in limbo.

Here’s the truth: you will never feel ready. Do you think I felt ready when I walked out on stage to perform in front of 13,000 people for the first time? Hell no! But guess what? By doing the thing I was afraid to do, I was now in control of my fear. Had I allowed my doubts and insecurities to own me, I may never have set foot on that stage. “Feeling ready” is not a matter of being fearless; it’s a matter of feeling the fear, and having the courage to move forward anyway.

Here’s another truth: you have everything you need to succeed. It’s not a matter of resources, it’s a matter of resourcefulness. Helen Keller was deaf and blind, and she wrote 12 books. If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.