We love to wait for the perfect moment. The right time to launch a business, to start a new project, to take that leap we’ve been contemplating. We tell ourselves we need more experience, more knowledge, more confidence. But the truth? The perfect moment never arrives. And if we wait until we feel fully prepared, we’ll never start at all.
Starting before you’re ready isn’t about recklessness—it’s about trusting yourself enough to take the first step, even when things feel uncertain. Every major success story begins with someone who took action before they had all the answers.
Why We Hold Ourselves Back
Fear of failure. Fear of judgment. Fear of not being good enough. These are the voices that keep us stuck. We convince ourselves that we need more preparation, more research, more planning. But often, this is just a way of avoiding the discomfort of starting.
I’ve been there. I’ve put off writing projects because I felt I needed to be a better writer first. I’ve delayed making decisions because I wanted absolute certainty. But in hindsight, the things I’m most proud of didn’t come from waiting—they came from doing. And learning along the way.
In 1976, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple in a garage with limited funding and no business experience. If they had waited until they were "ready," they might never have started. Instead, they built the first Apple computer with the resources they had and figured the rest out as they went. The same applies to countless successful individuals—Oprah Winfrey, Elon Musk, and Sara Blakely all started without a perfect plan but made progress by taking action.
Action Creates Clarity
One of the biggest myths we believe is that we need clarity before we take action. But in reality, clarity comes from action. The more we do, the more we learn. The more we learn, the clearer our path becomes. Waiting doesn’t bring clarity—movement does.
Think about anyone you admire. They didn’t start with confidence; they built it by showing up, failing, adjusting, and growing. The first draft of a book isn’t perfect. The first business idea isn’t always the best one. The first step in anything is rarely smooth. But none of that matters if you commit to starting and refining as you go.
A Personal Lesson in Starting Before You’re Ready
A few years ago, I had an idea for a project I wanted to launch. I kept telling myself I needed more knowledge, more skills, and more preparation before I could even begin. Months passed, then years, and I still hadn’t taken a step forward. Finally, I decided to just start—without a perfect plan, without all the details figured out. And you know what? It worked. I learned along the way, adapted when I needed to, and made progress faster than I ever could have by waiting.
It reminded me of a friend who always wanted to run a marathon but thought they weren’t fit enough. One day, instead of waiting for the “perfect” moment, they simply ran a mile. Then another. A year later, they crossed the finish line of their first marathon. The lesson? You don’t have to be great to start, but you do have to start to be great.
The Small Steps That Make a Big Difference
Starting before you’re ready doesn’t mean you have to go all in overnight. It can be as simple as:
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Writing the first sentence of your book.
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Posting your first piece of content.
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Sending that email you’ve been avoiding.
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Signing up for the class you’ve been thinking about.
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Taking the first step, no matter how small.
Small steps compound. Momentum builds. Before you know it, you’re not waiting anymore—you’re doing.
Trusting the Process
The truth is, you’ll never feel 100% ready for anything that really matters. But what if that’s okay? What if you start anyway? What if you trust that you’ll figure it out as you go? Because that’s exactly how growth happens.
If history has shown us anything, it’s that waiting for perfection is the enemy of progress. The Wright brothers didn’t wait until they had all the answers before attempting flight. Thomas Edison didn’t hold off inventing the light bulb until he knew it would work. The people who change the world don’t wait—they take action, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.
So, what’s one thing you can start today—before you feel ready?
Resources for Taking the First Step:
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The War of Art by Steven Pressfield – A must-read on overcoming resistance and starting before you’re ready.
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You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero – A fun, motivating book on believing in yourself and going for what you want.