You’re never going to feel 100% ready for anything – the job, the relationship, the big public speaking gig, the next challenge in your personal or professional life – but you should still DO it.
There are always reasons to say no but what if you said YES instead? What if you found a way to make it work even when you thought you couldn’t?
I certainly wasn’t ready to be an entrepreneur and didn’t know thought I wanted to be one – but life drew me toward this path.
It was exactly what I needed even though I had no idea how to get started. I drew upon the advice of those who did it before me.
Asking for advice is one of the smartest things you can do and people generally love to be asked for guidance.
I definitely wasn’t ready to welcome two French bulldog puppies into my home last year but my beloved dog died during the pandemic and my gut said do it even when my family said I was crazy. I knew what was best for me. (PS – dogs are the best work from home companions).
I used to be a terrible public speaker (I almost didn’t pass a class in graduate school on public speaking because I relied too much on slides and I was always so nervous), but then I found my voice and my confidence.
Although I was scared and dealt with imposter syndrome, I kept practicing, saying yes (even when I wanted to say no) and I found my voice and my confidence.
When I presented I told personal stories and let my enthusiasm for the topic at hand guide me. All of that led to more opportunities.
Now I get paid to speak at conferences all over the country and to do trainings for major law firms, corporate clients and associations. When I believed in myself and didn’t give up, it changed for me.
And when it came to my personal life – I had this idea of where I was a supposed to be at a certain age due to societal pressures – but I was miserable and with the wrong person.
I kept dating the same person over and over again – a narcissistic, selfish guy who didn’t share the same values as me.
The last one had red flags all over him from day one and wanted to change me into someone I wasn’t. He was controlling and wrong for me in every way. He turned out to be my worst nightmare – I didn’t see the end coming.
It took a long time for me to trust my judgment again when it came to men. I had chosen someone who was capable of moving on so quickly with someone we knew – I had to make major changes when I started dating again.
As soon as I let go of the idea that I didn’t need to be at a certain place by a certain age and worked on myself, my life started to make sense, and I found real happiness.
The first time I went on a date after my ex left me was a month afterwards. I had met J in Washington, DC during a visit to see a close friend. We had instant chemistry and despite the fact that I was not in a great headspace, I knew I liked him. He invited me on a trip the next weekend and although I was not ready, I made myself go anyway. I’m glad I did. It was exactly what I needed after having the rug pulled from under me.
Sometimes we just have to DO things even when we aren’t ready.
So remember you’ll never be 100% ready for anything but trust the process and yourself.
Do that thing that scares you – write that article, start the business, say yes to the speaking gig, go on that date – maybe things won’t turn out perfectly all of the time, but you won’t know if you don’t try! 🙌🏻