You’ll Never Feel Ready…
…. And That’s great news!
How many times have you whispered to yourself,
I'll start when I'm more prepared. When I have more experience. When the timing feels right."
We cling to the illusion that success arrives only after we've stockpiled enough knowledge, stacked enough confidence, and crossed the invisible finish line called "ready."
The Truth
You will never feel ready.
And that's the gist. Readiness isn't the way you step through,
It's the horizon that appears as you walk.
The Readiness Trap
Preparation matters, to a point. But too often, preparation becomes a polite excuse. As the saying goes,
"Excuses are the tools we use to build great monuments of nothing."
Think back to the last time you did something truly meaningful.
Were you perfectly prepared? Probably not.
Readiness doesn't come before the leap.
It comes because of the leap.
As Seth Godin reminds us, "Safe is risky, and risky is safe."
Playing it safe shields us from embarrassment, from failure, and from feeling exposed; it also keeps us stuck.
Confidence doesn't lead to courage. Courage leads to confidence.
You don't need all the answers; you don't discover them by doing.
You don't need to silence fear; you simply prove fear isn't the one driving.
The moment you feel totally ready is usually the moment you've already waited too long.
Action Reveals Answers
Picture driving at night. Your headlights only show a few hundred feet ahead. You can't see the whole road—yet you keep moving, trusting the way will unfold.
Life works the same way.
Clarity doesn't come before movement.
Clarity comes from movement.
You don't need the whole map.
You just need the next mile.
Breaking Free from the Readiness Myth
Here's how to escape the "I'll start when I'm ready" trap:
Start small, but start today. One step creates momentum. Record a five-minute voice memo. Call a potential customer. Take a ten-minute walk. Not later. Not someday. Not when it's perfect. Now.
Turn fear into a green light. Fear doesn't mean stop. Fear means go. If it rattles you, it matters. If you don't care enough to be nervous, you probably don't care enough.
Recognize over-preparing as procrastination. Ten books. Fifty podcasts. Five courses. And still no action? That's not preparation, that's a delay tactic.
Trust that you'll adapt. Success doesn't follow a flawless script. You learn, adjust, and pivot along the way. Look back at your past wins; you didn't begin with perfect maps. You figured it out step by step.
You don't need a big answer.
You need a little courage.
Final Thought
"Our greatest power is the power to choose." — William James
… and the choice is yours.
Wait for the perfect moment (that never comes).
Or apply courage, take action, and learn as you go.
One path opens doors to growth and opportunity.
The other, regret.
So, what have you been waiting to start?
Whatever it is, take the first step.
Take it before you feel ready.
Have an opinion or question about this topic? Email Doug@Harmony919.com. We’d love to hear from you!
