Why you NEED to start before you’re ready

Over the past few years I have read more articles than I can remember telling me that I am “good enough”. I found the more people told me that I was “good enough” the more annoying it became.

I could understand what they were trying to tell me. That I didn’t need to change. That I didn’t need to be a better person. That it was okay to get on and do stuff despite all my imperfections and messiness. That I didn’t need to wait until I was “fixed”.

But I wasn’t feeling it.

I didn’t know what to do with it.

When I felt crap, and wanted to run away and hide from the world, I tried repeating to myself “I am good enough”. But it didn’t change anything. They were just words.

And I was more aware of ever that I had so many flaws. There was so much I could improve about myself.

Until one day when I realised I had actually been believing “I am good enough” all along.

Being “good enough” wasn’t a magical feeling where all was well and happy in my world. Being “good enough” was about getting on and doing stuff despite the fact my life was messy and I still had a ton to learn.

Just over two years ago my anxiety levels were on the rise. I noticed myself over thinking the tiniest of decisions. I’d stand in front of a cupboard taking far too long to pick a mug, paralysed by the consequences of making the wrong choice.

I am aware that sounds crazy. Things were getting out of control.

I had to do something.

So what did I do?

I committed to my plan of becoming a coach. I signed up for a year long life coach training course (Mentor Masterclass). I got on with coaching other people.

Huh?!

Okay that wasn’t the next logical step. There were things I had to change in my life to tackle the anxiety. But I made the decision to keep working towards my goals, despite having my own shit to sort out while I did it.

It was about knowing I was good enough. That I could make a difference to others without my life needing to be perfect first.

Because the truth is our lives will never ever be perfect. There will always be more to learn. You will always see more than enough opportunities to improve.

Even though I didn’t realise I was doing it, I had made a choice to believe that I was “good enough” right then and there.

If I had waited until I was “ready” I would have missed out on some amazing experiences that led me where I am today.

I Helped Myself By Helping Others

As my clients had “Aha” moments and breakthroughs, I learned so much. They inspired me to make different choices and that helped me improve my life too. You don’t have to be a coach to learn from others. Every time you support someone it’s an opportunity to witness the choices they make in their lives, and learn from them too.

I Met Amazing People Doing Amazing Things

Taking the plunge with coaching has given me the opportunity to meet so many fantastic people. I witnessed them achieving their dreams, while making a massive difference to others. I’ve also seen behind the scenes. The messiness in their lives, and the moments they have gone for it even when they weren’t “ready”. It’s dispelled the myth that people who do amazing things are perfect superhumans. It’s helped me to realise that I don’t need to be anything special to live my dream. I don’t need a superhero cape to make a difference.

I Figured Out What I Really Wanted To Do

For a long time it frustrated me that I couldn’t pin down exactly what I wanted to do or describe it to anyone. I hated that people might think I was wishy washy because I kept trying different things. But if I had waited until I had “figured it out” to get started, I believe I would still be waiting now. As it turns out I knew what I wanted to do all along. It was only because I jumped in, and figured it out along the way, I now know how I can support others in a way that also feels really good for me!

I Stopped Sabotaging Myself

Sometimes I feel like I haven’t got anywhere fast. But when I stop and think about where I am now and where I was two years ago, I can see a big difference. I have learned to be willing to put myself out there, even when it’s really scary. Surrounding myself with people who are living their dream has been the quickest way to spot where I keep tripping myself up. And it has challenged me to keep trying even when those little voices in my head ask “Who am I to be doing this?” It has kept me focussed when shiny things have threatened to distract me. It has kept me going when all I wanted to do was run away and hide. Perhaps most importantly it has made me believe it is possible.

I Made A Difference

If I had waited until I was “ready” I wouldn’t have coached and supported all the people I have over the past two years. And they wouldn’t have been able to say things like this…

“I feel fantastic, energised and ready to take on the world!”

“I’m already implementing changes and I can see it will make a huge difference”

“I feel Light. Free. Confident that I am on the right track. In ACTION mode!”

If nothing else pushes you to jump in and start doing whatever it is you feel called to do right now, then think of the people you want to help. All the people who will miss out on your support while you are “waiting” to feel ready. If you are someone who feels like they NEED to make a difference, why put off doing what you are ready to do right now?

We can wait a lifetime for things to be “right” but the truth is we will never be perfect and we will never be “fixed”. As soon as we finish working through one thing, we discover there’s a whole new treasure trove of messiness underneath it to work through next.

YOU ARE READY RIGHT NOW

You can help others exactly as you are right now in your gloriously imperfect and messy life.

We need you.

How do you want to make a difference in this world? What step can you take to start doing it right now?

Share in the comments below , you might just inspire someone else to take the plunge too!

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