Perfect Timing

Are you someone who talks yourself out of doing things you want to do?     

Have you stayed in a job because you believe that in a new job you will not make as much money or have as much vacation time?

Have you delayed making a career change, taking classes, or pursuing new hobbies because you’ve convinced yourself that now is not the best time or that you will have more time later?  

Have you put your dreams on hold so that you can continue putting the needs and wants of other people first? 

I am. 

And I have done all of those things!  

I wait, thinking that my timing must be perfect.     

As if I am playing double dutch jump rope.  Watching for my opportunity to jump in, swaying forward and back, creating subtle and controlled momentum, my feet firmly planted beneath me, waiting for exactly the right moment, the perfect moment.  

Fully engaged in the preparation.  Strategically thinking about how it must be done.  All the while, not taking the leap.  

There was one time though that I did it differently. A couple years ago, I quit my financially-rewarding corporate job without having another job lined up.  

It was the first decision I had ever made in my entire life that was not part of my plan.  There was no watching for an opportunity. No consideration of whether the timing was right.  No small movements to build momentum.  I simply jumped.  

I jumped, despite the fear and uncertainty, into an unknown future.  I knew that the life I was living was not even close to the life I wanted to live.  I wanted something more.  

It was exhilarating and frightening.  So rewarding.  And so unlike me.  

I am someone who could spend a lifetime waiting for the right moment, the perfect opportunity.  

Why?  There are always a million reasons why!  

Most of which are stories I have created in my mind.    

It is a familiar pattern.  The storytelling.   

A pattern that I have to call myself out on. Acknowledge it. Own it. Face it head-on.

Which is exactly what I had to do last week.

Last week, as I prepared to move to Maine for a month - something I’ve wanted to do for more than a decade, I started thinking about all of the reasons that maybe now is not the right time:

the forecast shows rain for the next few days;

my houseplants need to be watered;

I have so much that needs to be done at home;

and on and on. 

Stories. Comedies, actually, that almost stopped me from doing something I wanted to do.

The stories that we create, the ones that distract and delay us, can be changed. 

Unless being a master storyteller is your life dream!

If you are waiting for the perfect time to put yourself and your dreams first, it is here. It is now.

Here are a few small steps you can take to begin: 

• Create a list of your goals and dreams; of all the things you want to do;

• Tell other people about your list. Talk about it often and in detail;

• Surround yourself with friends and colleagues who support, encourage, and believe in you;

• Engage a coach to help you  identify and overcome self-limiting beliefs, manage real and perceived obstacles and challenges, and claim and celebrate victories. 

If you are ready to begin, ready to jump in, I’m here for you.

As always.