Why Feeling Ready is Overrated

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📝 This Week's Depth

It's a feeling we've all had at some point in our life: "I'm just not ready yet." 

It may be a project we've been looking forward to, a conversation we'd like to have, or a major life change we've been thinking about.

A tension exists between the need to reach milestones and the fear of not reaching them. We know the struggle pretty well: fear holds us back, while the desire for growth pushes us ahead.

We get caught between rushing ahead and pausing as we grapple with uncertainty. Whatever it is, there's always that voice telling us, "Not yet. Just a little more preparation. Just a little more research. Just a little more time."

We think this voice is trying to protect us and prepare us for what's ahead. It seems like it's offering safety and preparation. But when we really examine it, we see that it's not about being prepared at all.

Our brains are designed to keep us safe, like overprotective parents. And what's the safest thing to do? Usually nothing at all! Stay where we are, stick with what we know, and avoid all risks.

This strategy was useful for avoiding dangers in the past, but it doesn't support our growth and progress today.

There is a saying that is widely repeated: the most successful people don't wait until they feel ready to act. They understood that we don't feel ready first and then act — we act first, and then the feeling of readiness follows.

Here is a pattern you might recognize:

• We want to start something new

• Our brain immediately lists all the reasons we're "not ready"

• We wait for the ‘right’ moment

• That perfect time never comes

• The cycle continues

Does this sound familiar? You're not alone. Our brains are just doing what they're designed to do — trying to protect us. But we can be strategic about it.

Here's what we can do when that "not ready" feeling appears:

1. Recognize the Signal: When we feel overwhelmed by the phrase "I'm not ready," we can see it as a sign of growth, not a warning to stop. If something doesn't challenge us, it won't change us.

2. Start Where You Are: Instead of waiting for the ideal moment, we can start with small, manageable steps. We might not be ready to launch the whole project, but we can write the first paragraph. We might not be ready for the whole conversation, but we can begin with a single sentence. It is easier to achieve our goals when we break them down into smaller steps.

3. Accept the Learning Curve: Feeling uncertain doesn't mean you're unprepared. Every expert was once a beginner who felt way out of their depth. They chose to start anyway. We learn through doing, not constant preparation.

4. Ask a Different Question: Instead of asking "Am I ready?" (which often leads to "no"), we could ask:

   • "What's the tiniest step I could take today?"

   • "What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?"

   • "What would I tell a friend in my position?"

5. Make Fear Work for You: That nervous energy you feel is actually excitement in disguise. Our bodies react the same way to fear and anticipation! When we view our anxiety as enthusiasm, we can shift from hesitation to motivation.

Readiness is not a state of arrival but a choice we make. Each time we act in spite of our uncertainties, we become stronger. Every time we act despite our doubts, we strengthen our courage. Each small step forward shows we are stronger than our fears.

Instead of asking yourself whether you’re ready, ask yourself what might become possible if you stopped waiting to feel ready and simply began.

The path to any meaningful achievement is hardly clear at the start. It reveals itself only to those who are bold enough to take the first uncertain step.

We'll always regret the chances we didn't take more than the ones we did, even if we weren't quite ready when we took them.

💭 Thought Ripples

• Experts all began as beginners who took the leap before they felt ready

• The perfect moment isn't coming, but this moment is good enough to start

• Are you scared? Do it scared!

🤔 The Inner Question

What would you do today (right now) if you stopped waiting to feel ready?

🌟 Growth Notes

📖 Book: "Mindset" by Carol Dweck

Understand how our beliefs about readiness affect our actions

🎧 Practice: The 5-4-3-2-1 Method

A simple technique for moving past overthinking into action

💡 Tool: Fear-Setting Exercise (inspired by Tim Ferriss)

A practical approach to identifying and addressing readiness fears 👇