Day 352

It’s interesting how often we wait for the “right time” to do something, almost as if life is going to send us an invitation letting us know we’re finally ready.

We tell ourselves we’ll do it when things settle down, when we have more time, when we’re less scared, when we have everything figured out, or when the circumstances are just right. We convince ourselves that waiting is the responsible thing to do, when sometimes we’re really just afraid of what might happen if we actually take the leap.

And I think we’ve all been guilty of that at some point.

The truth is, life doesn’t always give us perfect timing. Sometimes opportunities show up when we’re busy, when we’re uncertain, or when we have absolutely no idea how everything is going to work out. Sometimes the things that could change our lives are sitting right in front of us, and the only thing standing between us and them is the fear of the unknown.

Think about how many experiences we might have missed because we talked ourselves out of them. The opportunities we didn’t pursue, the trips we didn’t take, the conversations we didn’t have, the relationships we were too afraid to explore, or the decisions we postponed because we wanted a guarantee that everything would work out.

But where is the guarantee in life anyway?

We can plan, prepare, calculate risks, and do everything in our power to make the right decisions, but there will always be things we cannot predict. We don’t get to know the ending before we begin. Sometimes we just have to trust ourselves enough to take the first step and figure things out along the way.

I’ve always believed that life is about more than simply getting through each day, checking things off a list, and waiting for the next milestone. It’s about the experiences we create, the people we meet, the places we see, the risks we take, and the memories we make along the way.

It’s about allowing ourselves to be excited about something without needing to know exactly where it’s going. It’s about being willing to try something new, even if we might fail. It’s about understanding that not every decision has to make sense to everyone else for it to be the right decision for us.

And sometimes, the biggest risk isn’t taking a chance and having it not work out. Sometimes the bigger risk is spending years wondering what might have happened if we had just tried.

Of course, I’m not saying we should make reckless decisions or throw caution out the window. There is a difference between being brave and being careless. But there is also a difference between being thoughtful and using the need for certainty as an excuse to never move forward.

At some point, we have to decide that the possibility of something going wrong isn’t enough to keep us from experiencing something that could go wonderfully right.

With the end of the year approaching, it feels like a good time to think about this. What have we been putting off? What have we wanted to do but kept finding reasons not to? What opportunities have we talked ourselves out of because the timing wasn’t perfect?

There is still time to do something different. There is still time to make a decision, start a project, plan an adventure, meet someone new, or take a step toward something we’ve been thinking about for months.

We don’t have to wait for January 1 to give ourselves permission to begin again. We don’t need a new calendar, a Monday morning, or some dramatic sign from the universe to start moving in a direction that excites us.

Sometimes all we need is to stop overthinking long enough to take the first step.

Because one day, we’ll look back on this part of our lives, too. And I would much rather look back knowing I was willing to try, even when I was scared, than wonder how different things might have been if I had been a little braver.

Life is going to keep moving whether we’re ready or not. We might as well give ourselves a chance to experience what it has waiting for us.

So here’s your reminder, and mine, to stop waiting for everything to be perfect. Take the trip. Pursue the opportunity. Have the conversation. Make the plan. Do the thing that excites you and scares you a little at the same time.

You don’t need to have your entire future figured out to take one step toward it.

Sometimes the life you’ve been waiting for begins the moment you decide to stop waiting.

Signed, Paulina.