Start Before You Feel Ready

“I don’t feel ready.”

Whether it’s the fear of failure, the persistent dysfunction around us or the pressure to live up to the identities projected on us by people who think they know us, for one reason or another we often find ourselves in the exact same place we were a year ago because we don’t feel ready.

We regularly talk ourselves out of opportunities and walk away from doors we are called to walk through because we don’t feel ready.

And if I’m being honest, when I say we, I really mean me. For years, I’ve found myself feeling stuck in so many areas:

• Not applying to graduate school because I hated rejection. I didn't think I'd be successful.

• Staying at an emotionally taxing job for seven months because I hated the shame that came with quitting my first adult job post undergrad. I didn't think I was qualified for something better.

• Avoiding going to therapy because I hated the idea of admitting to myself and someone else that I was not okay. The timing just never "felt" right.

• Pushing off starting a blog for four years because I hated letting people in close enough to really see me. I didn't think I was gifted, whole, or seasoned enough.

And the list goes on. For as long as I can remember, I have resisted living fully and purposefully because of the arresting feeling that "I am not ready yet."

Even more, I’ve run from writing and living out the vision God has given me because of the lie that, "I am not enough."

But after many pandemic tears and uncomfortable conversations with myself and God, I realized I was living a life run by feelings and fear. The result: stagnancy and a sense of purposelessness.

We spend so much time overthinking about whether or not we’re ready to take that first step that we never even get started.

This isn’t the part where I tell you to just do it or insert a fake deep quote about just getting up, doing the work, and being disciplined (which are all necessary, but ultimately a discussion for another day).

This is the part where I tell you this truth that set me free from the ridiculous amount of pressure I was placing on myself to get up and start pursuing my passions:

You will almost never feel completely ready to do the big thing.

There will never be a point where every single thing in your life lines up perfectly. There will never be a point where you have zero doubts and are insecurity free. And that’s okay.

The fact of the matter is that your vision is valid. Your gifts are necessary. You are necessary. There is someone out there that needs the very thing you are too scared to give birth to.

There is a “you” sized gap in the world waiting to be filled by your God-given purpose.

Fear, doubt, insecurity, hurt, shame, guilt and past failures do not discount your gifts or purpose. Take this from someone who’s sat on this blog idea for over four years: the process of becoming is a lifelong journey.

There will always be a reason to postpone your vision for a more convenient season.

So, whatever it is, the blog, the non-profit, the business, the clothing line, the degree, the big move, the youtube channel, the book, the music, start even if you have to ugly cry through it.

If God has confirmed it, it's time to get moving. The struggle bus gets to its destination even if the ride is bumpy.

Whether you're feeling ready or not, here are some steps to get started:

1. Write down the vision or dream that’s been floating around in your head. Don’t filter it. Don’t downsize it. Don’t make it more "realistic.” Write it down just as it comes even if it doesn’t make sense.

2. Write down the number one reason you can’t start. Then rip it up (or burn it if you’re extra). Unless the reason is that God hasn't given you the green light, you're probably just getting in your own way again.

3. Share your idea with someone you trust. This creates accountability and makes it real. I first shared it with my two friends in a diner and ugly cried. They gave me hugs and tough love.

4. Set goals and deadlines. Start even if the first step looks more like a crawl. Talk is cheap and time is expensive. You are responsible for you, so create a plan.

The days of believing everyone has the right to live a life of purpose, but you, are over. God entrusted you with that vision and that gift because He sees purpose.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

Disclaimer: The information provided in or through this website is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, therapy, diagnosis, or treatment.