It’s always too soon

“You are more prepared than you realize. You probably aren’t ready, and you can’t be ready, not if you’re doing something worthwhile.

Because we always do our best work and take our turn before we’re ready.”

As someone who had been getting ready to get ready to get ready, before I had my epiphany and actually committed to blogging and stopped procrastinating, boy do these words by Seth Godin ring true.

According to Dictionary.com, being ready means “completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use,” or according to Merriam Webster, “prepared mentally or physically for some experience or action.”

So, what does it take to be ready? Well, in my experience, always more than I have at the moment. Hence a great reason to procrastinate, and wait until that magic moment of readiness.

The trouble is, we’re probably never going to feel really ready when it comes to the big things in life….. there is always more to learn, more confidence to feel. And if we’re lucky, we find ourselves in the position where suddenly it’s obvious it’s our turn and it’s our time and it’s time to jump. So then, what do we do?

Back down the mountain, retreat, find so many good reasons why we’re just not ready?

Because the Universe seems to have its own timing, ever notice that?

So, are you ready to take your turn, brave reader?

The fear of stupidity

I love Seth Godin’s writing. I especially love his little essay on stupidity. Now, if you’re like most of us, stupid is the last thing we want to feel. Yet the truth is, whenever we are in the process of learning something new, or trying to tackle a difficult problem, we feel stupid.

Often, this is enough to send us scurrying back to our cave because we associate feeling stupid with fear. We can’t bear feeling stupid. And yet, doesn’t change make us all feel stupid?

Things are different, the old rules don’t apply. We haven’t figured out the new ones yet.

So… all to often we avoid change, so we don’t feel stupid and therefore afraid.

Believe me, I know this cycle.  

So I’m going to follow Godin’s advice. Instead of avoiding change and avoiding freedom to avoid feeling stupid and afraid, I’m just going to embrace stupid.  It means I am learning, I am trying something different, I am willing to feel the discomfort of stretching, I am growing.

What To Do When It’s Your Turn [and it’s always your turn]

The book with this title, by Seth Godin, arrived in my mailbox today.

Here is what the first page I turned to says:

“Ship.

Speak up.

Stand out.

Build a following.

Market a product.

Make a connection.

Solve an interesting problem.

Write, sing, invent, create, ask a question, launch a project, organize a protest, open the door for someone, question authority, make a short film, direct, produce, create, or adopt.

Learn a new skill.

Help someone who needs you.

Be missed if you’re gone.

YOUR TURN TO MAKE A RUCKUS.”

Well, I guess I have my marching orders. You in?