“If I just buy that fitness wear… I’ll be ready to hit the gym”
“If I just finish one more course about writing… I can start that blog.”
“When the stars align in the perfect astrological order… I can do whatever I’ve been thinking about starting.”
Okay, maybe not that last one.
But when starting something out for the first time, there’s this common view that you have to get everything perfect before you start.
Whether you’re starting a business, applying for a new job, starting up that workout routine or even thinking about traveling, there’s this common perception that everything has to be perfect before you can even get started.
That you have to feel “ready”.
The latest gear, the best software, the most expensive travel equipment – whatever it might be.
Especially when you look at people who are already successful at whatever it is that you want to do.
It’s super easy to fall into the trap of “They have these cool things and they’re successful. So if I want to be successful like them, I need these things too”.
I mean sure, sometimes, that’s really helpful.
Learning from others and mimicking those who are already successful can definitely be helpful.
But comparing everything you have when you’re just starting out to someone that is already successful can make you feel like you haven’t got enough to even get started.
When you look at em’ and see that they have the perfect setup, it’s easy to think that you need those things to even begin.
And don’t worry – I’ve fallen for the same trap a ton of times too.
We all have.
But a lot of the time, what we perceive as “getting ready to start” is simply a self-logical concept.
Self-logical: A pseudo-scientific word that I just made up which refers to a statement or an idea that you use to rationalise your behaviour by convincing yourself that it is the most logical thing to do.
Avoiding the fear of failure by getting things ‘perfect’
A lot of the time, when we’re constantly optimising and trying to wait for the moment to “feel right” – we’re simply avoiding going after whatever it is that we’re aiming to achieve.
It all just stems from a place of fear.
You’re worried that it isn’t going to work – so you find reasons and things that you need to first perfect to avoid the possibility of failing.
- You can complain that you can’t start exercising without the right fitness wear, but the fact is that you probably have some old clothes you could start working out in.
- You can point out how another entrepreneur’s company has an amazing website design, but they probably got started with a pretty average one.
- You can argue that you’re waiting for the next annual review before you start applying for another job, but the truth is that you’ve been unsatisfied at your current job for a while now.
You could find a thousand different things that you could improve before going after what you want but the truth is, you could probably get started without them.
It’s just that your reptile brain is holding you back from doing so.
Yeap, that’s the one I’m talking about.
That annoying part of your brain who’s sole purpose in life is to keep you safe and out of harm’s way.
Your reptile brain doesn’t care about you having a happy life.
It couldn’t care less about you achieving your goals or living the life of your dreams.
Keeping you out of harm’s way is the only thing that it cares about.
So when you decide that you want to change your life and achieve your goals, your reptile brain kicks in to try and protect you from failure.
It starts to convince you that you haven’t got your shit together and that you aren’t ready to take that step until you have everything, perfectly in order.
Your reptile brain is just trying to protect you from the possibility of failing by using self-logic (convincing yourself that this is the most logical thing to do) to make you feel like you haven’t got your shit together so that you don’t put yourself at risk of failing.
So how do you convince yourself that you do have your shit together?
It’s simple.
You don’t.
You just accept the fact that you will never feel like you have your shit together because your mind is designed to protect you from taking risks, regardless of how much they could benefit your life.
And you go get started right now.
That’s all there is to it.
If you want to summarise the habits of the most successful people in the world into just one phrase, it’s this:
Successful people don’t feel ready when they start.
They start before they feel ready.
The fact is that no matter what in the world you want to do, especially if it’s important to you, you will NEVER feel ready.
That’s the issue with doing anything challenging that could improve your life.
On one end, you’re going to be driven to do it as you know that it’ll improve your life.
On the other hand, you’re going to feel unprepared to do it because old mate reptile brain’s sole purpose in this world is to convince you that you aren’t ready.
You’re going to feel uncertain, unprepared and sure as hell unqualified so if there’s one thing that I want you to take away from this – it’s this.
Whatever you have right now is more than enough.
You can plan it… delay it… revise it… perfect it and do whatever you want with it but trust me, you have enough to start.
It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to start a business… applying for a new job… picking up a new hobby… getting fit… traveling the world… whatever it might be.
You Just Have To Get Started.
And once you do start… once the ball gets rolling… then you can figure the rest out one step at a time.
But trying to be perfect without ever actually starting is like going into a race with the fastest car in the world and never actually hitting the accelerator.
No matter how fast your car might be, if you aren’t moving forward, you’re still going to lose every race you’re in.
So remember, there are other people who started in the same position that you’re in right now.
With the same amount of money, resources and experience.
The only difference that stands between you and them…
Is the fact that they got started anyway.
The truth is that you will probably NEVER feel fully prepared and you might never feel like you have your shit together.
So you might as well start now and get a head start on everyone else who never even hit the accelerator.
And if you’re ready to get a head start on the competition, click here to start learning how to supercharge your influence on the world.
