The Moment I Stopped Waiting for the Perfect Time

The Moment I Stopped Waiting for the Perfect Time

I used to think I had time.

Time to figure things out. Time to prepare. Time to wait for the perfect moment to start.

But the truth is, I wasn’t waiting for the right time—I was waiting for permission.

I was waiting for a sign, for clarity, for everything to align perfectly before I took the first step.

But perfect moments don’t exist. And the longer I waited, the further my dreams drifted away.

I didn’t realize how much time I was losing until one ordinary day, in the middle of an ordinary moment, something shifted.

And I knew—I couldn’t keep waiting.

The Excuses We Tell Ourselves

For years, I had a list of reasons why I wasn’t ready.

“I need more experience.”

“I don’t have enough time.”

“I need to learn more first.”

“I’ll start when life settles down.”

On the surface, these sounded reasonable. Who doesn’t want to be prepared before stepping into something new?

But deep down, I wasn’t protecting myself—I was hiding.

I was scared. Scared of failing. Scared of looking foolish. Scared that I wasn’t as capable as other people seemed to be.

So, I kept telling myself, “Not yet.”

But not yet quickly became not ever.

The Ordinary Moment That Changed Everything

The funny thing is, I thought the moment that would push me forward would be dramatic—some life-changing event, an undeniable sign from the universe telling me, "Now is the time."

But it wasn’t.

It was a Tuesday afternoon.

I was sitting at my kitchen table, staring at my laptop, once again reading about what I wanted to do instead of actually doing it.

And for the first time, I asked myself a different question.

“If I don’t start now, when will I?”

Not when should I?

Not when is the best time?

But when will I actually do this?

I had no answer.

Because deep down, I knew—if I didn’t start today, I would find another excuse tomorrow. And another the next day.

I wasn’t waiting for the right time. I was just waiting.

And suddenly, I was tired of waiting.

The First Step Felt Small—But It Was Everything

I wish I could say that, in that moment, I transformed into the most confident version of myself and took massive action.

I didn’t.

I hesitated. I doubted myself. But I did something different that day.

I took one small step.

It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t well-planned. It wasn’t groundbreaking.

But it was something.

And that something changed everything.

Because once I started, I realized the thing that had been holding me back all along wasn’t my lack of time, or knowledge, or experience.

It was me.

And if I had the power to hold myself back, I also had the power to move forward.

The Perfect Time Is a Myth

I used to think successful people had something I didn’t—some kind of certainty, some kind of confidence that made it easier for them to take action.

But I was wrong.

They weren’t waiting for perfect timing.

They were just willing to start before they felt ready.

Because no one feels completely ready at the beginning. No one has everything figured out before they start.

The difference is, they start anyway.

And that’s the real secret.

If You’re Waiting, Read This

If you’re reading this right now, thinking, “I’ll start when the timing is better”—I want you to ask yourself something.

When will that be?

Next week? Next month? Next year?

Or will it always be someday?

Because here’s what I’ve learned—someday is a lie we tell ourselves to feel safe.

But nothing changes on someday. Nothing happens. Nothing begins.

The only time that belongs to you is right now.

Final Thoughts

If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t tell my past self to be less afraid. I wouldn’t tell her to stop overthinking or to have more confidence.

I would just tell her this:

Start now.

Start before you’re ready. Start before you have it all figured out. Start before you let another year pass by with nothing to show for it.

Because five years from now, you’ll either be grateful you started… or wishing you had.

The choice is yours.

And the time?

It’s now.