Start before you’re ready

Being ready is a myth. I hate that I fall into this trap, but I do. Odds are you do too. When there’s something new I want to try, or a change I know I need to make, I catch myself saying, “Not yet. I’ll start when I’m ready.” That’s a lie.

Sure, some things require preparation, but preparation isn’t the same as starting. Take a marathon. You can waste weeks researching the best plan, the right shoes, the perfect nutrition. But while you’re planning, you’re not training. You’re not building fitness. You’re not moving forward.

Humans are good at excuses. We dress them up as “reasons,” but really they’re walls we build to delay action. Growth is already hard. Add excuses on top of that resistance and you’ve made it almost impossible.

If you want to be ready, just begin. Expect to be terrible at first. That’s part of it. Every great—athlete, leader, musician, entrepreneur—looked foolish at the start. Talent might have helped them, but obsession and relentless practice made them great.

When I signed up for my first marathon, I knew nothing about endurance running. My fueling strategy was grabbing whatever was at the aid stations. My longest run before race day was fifteen miles. I bought the shoes that looked the coolest—bad call, my feet hurt for weeks. I ran like a rookie, because I was a rookie. And still, I finished with a decent time. Then I set a new goal: break three hours.

That meant changes. I bought proper shoes, hired a coach, and doubled down on training and recovery. It was brutal work, but in February 2024, I ran sub-three. That goal taught me something simple: you don’t wait until you’re ready—you start, then adjust along the way.

Think of it like an ongoing audit. What can you change? What needs attention? Where can you push harder? That’s how you grow.

There is no mythical point of readiness. If you wait to be “ready” for marriage, kids, a career, or even a new hobby, you’ll blink and the chance will be gone. Don’t wait. If something calls to you, start today. You’ll look foolish. You’ll stumble. But if it matters, commit to seeing it through.

Most importantly—keep Getting After It, especially when it gets hard.

If this was helpful, please share it with a friend. We all grow together.