The Myth of Ready
Thoughtful Preparation or Self-Sabotage?
SUMMARY: [4 min read] A common, unconscious behavior that slows our growth.
You’re out to dinner with good friends. Between bites of lemony shrimp carpaccio, one asks about your BIG new endeavor.
Months ago, you’d excitedly announced new plans — a new business idea, writing project, creative product — and were fully committed. ARE committed.
But today…
“It needs a little more thought."
“I’m doing more research.”
“There’s a course I want to take first."
They smile with understanding and refill your San Pellegrino. The conversation flows forward.
What's REALLY happening here?
You KNOW you have experience that’s valued. Your work history is dense with evaluations trumpeting “exceeds expectations.” Being well-prepared has served you well.
Are you leaning on an old, reliable pattern? Or something else?
In coaching high achievers, I’ve heard all the explanations justifying “necessary research.” I’ve had my own seasons wrestling with it, too.
But if you’re a professional with experience, here’s the hard truth:
Most preparation is DELAY.
It’s a behavior tied to insecurity and scarcity. That there's competition. That others will judge. That without more knowledge-ability-credible references you could…fail.
So you over-prepare. Qualifying yourself to do the thing you desire to do.
But there’s a cost.
“The few who do are the envy of the most who only watch.”
The Myth of Ready
No amount of preparation, reading up and training will replace the confidence you gain from ACTION.
Ever met an MD who led with his credentials?
Been in a department meeting where a senior colleague swung her ego around like a shield?
Attended a talk where the “expert” spent half the session justifying their place on stage?
Insecurity doesn’t disappear with new degrees. Fear of judgement doesn’t dissolve with plaudits. You EARN confidence through action.
You qualify yourself by stepping up.
Just Do It: More than a Slogan
In 1962, Phil Knight discovered an “all-out obsession” his last year of grad school:
Japanese running shoes.
He’d been a track athlete and found the U.S. market lacking. However, he knew virtually nothing about importing goods from abroad. He’d never even been to Japan.
Knight called it “my Crazy Idea” and with the sale of his 1960 MG and a $1000 loan from his father, he embarked on a backpacking trip that included a stopover in Tokyo.
He packed one good suit “in case my Crazy Idea came to fruition.” Travel was his primary goal. His dream: Meeting with a manufacturer in Kobe, 7 hrs away by train.
They invited him to visit.
With little beyond his research paper (which he used for his pitch) and an hour of guidance from two American ex-pats on Japanese business culture, Knight made the trip and met executives at Onitsuka. It was his first time touring a shoe factory.
He had a grad school paper. Courage. An invitation.
He was 24 and well on his way to creating Nike.
Giving Ourselves Permission
You don’t need to be an aspiring retail magnate to move before you’re “ready.”
It comes down to giving yourself the okay to fall on your face. Permission to trip and tumble. You’ll survive! But the first time is rarely pretty.
When I recall my first day EVER teaching in 2005, I cringe. I had no bloody idea what I was doing. I overdressed, sweat profusely, and broke rules for public speaking I was supposed to be modeling. The students were entranced like witnesses to a highway crash.
The good news: You only have a first attempt ONCE.
The next time … you may still not do it perfectly. But you’ll do it better.
Imperfect & Incremental
The action may be imperfect. It isn’t always as epic as the vision. What’s most important is that you’re growing momentum.
In Knight’s autobiography, Shoe Dog, he reflects on a quote from Confucius:
The man who moves mountains begins by carrying away small stones.
Knight pitched imperfectly. He didn’t even have a business name. When asked, he made one up on the spot.
Don’t delay realizing your vision, friend. Action qualifies YOU!
Start with small stones and GO.
