Stop waiting for your ship to come in, and start swimming!

• Why do we think we are waiting for the right time?
• Why do we wait to have that conversation?
• Why do we think waiting for the “right person”, will make us happy?
• Why do we wait to plan that trip?
• Why do we wait to get healthy?

You've probably heard the old saying, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is today." So why are we waiting? Why don't we just get started on our new project or dream today?

Waiting for the ‘perfect’ time.

We all have a tendency to wait for that perfect moment to do something we want to do and could be doing now. The truth is, there will never be a perfect time to start your business or write that book or run your first marathon—the time will never be right. And if you wait too long, you might find yourself regretting not taking action sooner and feeling like it's too late to go after your dreams.

You may think that after you lose 10 pounds, get a new job, or finish your Ph.D., then the time will be right. You’ll be ready. But the truth is there is never a perfect time. The best time is now! And if it still doesn’t feel right? Well then maybe it isn’t meant to be at all.

Waiting for the ‘perfect’ circumstances.

You might have heard of this one before, but it's worth repeating: we can never predict the future. When you're waiting for something to happen, you may be basing your decision on what you think will happen next. But things don't always go as planned—in fact, they rarely do!

So if you're holding off on taking action because there isn't just the right combination of factors in place yet, stop.

Opportunities.

Thing is, you never know if you will succeed unless you try, unless you push your boundaries. If it scares you, then good, it just means you are human, and perhaps it means it’s actually a good thing to try. By definition, an opportunity is a challenge. Opportunities force us to take one more step, to reinvent ourselves, to run into the unknown, and to leave the comfort zone in which we are used to living.

Waiting for a safety net will dull your dreams entirely. Remember, there will be selective preparedness and calculated unknowns, but never all-the-way ready. You have to figure out your own balance as you go. Prepare enough. But risk enough too. Risk will teach you more than overthinking anything ever will.

Living with regrets.

It’s been said that regrets are a waste of time, and are such… Literally! 

Many people spend precious time looking back on their younger years wishing that they had done more things or perhaps chosen different paths in life than those they are on today. You know that feeling when you're sitting alone in your apartment thinking about all of the things you wish you had done when you were younger?

Well, you can change your life today.

Stop waiting and start doing.

• Don’t wait for permission or validation, or some special circumstance that you think will make it all work out.
• Don't hold your breath for things to get better if they aren't now.
• Don't wait for the perfect moment, or the right time—create it now!
• Don’t wait for someone else to make a difference in your life—you are the only person who can do it.

And the next time you feel like waiting for that “perfect” time before you take action, ask yourself: What will it cost me if I don't take action now? The answer might surprise you.

It's a new year, it's a new season. So, today if anything, purpose it in your heart to get up and go chase your dreams.