How many of you are waiting for the perfect time, the time that you know more, have more experience, education, resources, connections, thicker skin, or whatever it takes to do that “thing” that you really want to do?
Be honest. Are you holding back, or worse (gasp!) living in regret of what you have or haven’t done?
We tend to have an unrealistic expectation that we need to not only be prepared, but to know how to do the “thing” that we’ve never done before.
I’ll let you in on a little secret that has been closely guarded and needs to be shouted from the rooftops:
The only way to truly learn how to do that thing that you’ve never done and want to do is by DOING IT!!
Yep. Full on put yourself out there, step into it and do it.
Full disclosure – I’m the queen of wanting to be fully prepared in advance. I want to know the race course before the race (figuratively and I literally research the course before a race).
I’ve always wanted to know how to do a “thing” in advance of doing it so when I finally did it, I would know what I was doing, I wouldn’t look foolish, I wouldn’t feel stupid, and, God forbid, I wouldn’t fail or get it wrong.
Spoiler alert – all of these things will happen and they will provide your BEST lessons in life. And you will survive.
Here’s the deal, no level of preparedness can replace the value of experience from actually DOING THE THING.
I had to practice law to be a lawyer, create art to be an artist, run the race to be an athlete, launch a business to be an entrepreneur, coach people to be a coach, teach workshops to be a teacher.
It’s strategic to be well-prepared so you can be confident in going after your “thing.”
It’s wise to understand you will never fully “know” how to do the thing you’ve never done until you actually do it.
It’s life changing to actually do it!
You have to have skin in the game of life.
You have to dare to get a scar or two (and wear them with pride).
You have to believe you will survive what life throws at you.
Life teaches us through action and experiences, not from sitting on the sidelines.
Which means it’s time to stop putting off that “thing” you want to do and bravely step into it to let it teach you what you need to learn.
In case you need some reinforcement to take action, here’s an excerpt from Will Smith’s book Will (which I’m thoroughly enjoying for its raw authenticity and vulnerability):
“We punish ourselves for not knowing. We always complain about what we could and should have done, and how much of a mistake it was that we did that thing, that unforgivable thing. We beat on ourselves for being so stupid, regretting our choices and lamenting the horrible decisions we make.
But here’s the reality – that’s what life is. Living is the journey from not knowing to knowing. From not understanding to understanding. From confusion to clarity. By universal design you are born into a perplexing situation, bewildered, and you have one job as a human: figure this shit out.
Life is learning. Period. Overcoming ignorance is the whole point of the journey. You’re not supposed to know at the beginning. The whole point of venturing into uncertainty is to bring light to the darkness of ignorance.
Life is like school with one key difference – in school you get the lesson and then you take the test. But in life, you get the test, and it’s your job to take the lesson.”
So what is the “thing” that is beckoning to you? Will you answer the call? Dare to share in a comment below and I’ll support you in going after it.
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Carpe Diem!
I help purpose-driven entrepreneurs upgrade their mindset, eliminate limiting beliefs and reprogram critical, negative self-talk so they can courageously and authentically use their voice, gifts and talents to make a bigger impact.
If you're ready to thrive and develop an unshakeable belief in who you are and what you can achieve, let's talk!
Carpe Diem!
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