Start Now: The World Won't Wait for You
Why you need to stop chasing your dreams and start living them!
A long time ago in a galaxy far away . . . I was studying for my psychology degree. One of my classes at the time was on the psychological development of aging. The class went through the entire human life span, deciphering what mattered most at what age, and how one continues to develop until death.
One thing I always remembered from this class was something the professor said about growing older. He’d noted that as one gets older, they begin to think less about accomplishing goals (like getting the job, buying the car, home, etc) and more about the purpose of their life. What legacy will they leave behind? What can they do to change the world?
I suppose the notion comes from the idea that in the early days of adulthood, there are certain things you need to accomplish to be “set later on.” And while I understand that fact (and lived it myself) the idea that one only considers their purpose near the end of life never sat well with me.
It’s never too early or too late to find your purpose.
You can find your purpose at any age. And chances are, whatever your purpose is, is the dream you chase. The dream you chase is the gift you have for the world. The one that can change it. Make it better.
But here’s the hard truth: no one is guaranteed any time on this earth. It’s not like you signed an agreement when you were born that said, Yes, I have x amount of time. . . .(or maybe, my science fiction fantasy author's mind is thinking . . .you did . . . ). But let’s be real, even if some imagined life contract exists, you don’t know what’s on it.
There is no ‘right’ time for anything.
The time is NOW.
The only moment you have is the one you create. You create the moment by the decisions you make. Will you call out of work today? Speak up at the meeting? Get up extra early to work on that painting? Learn a new skill? Start researching that business idea?
The question becomes: what will you do with your time?
Of course, we want time with our family and friends. As the old saying goes, no one ever sits on their death bed saying, I wished I’d gone to one more meeting (or maybe they do and if so, that makes me sad).
Wanting more time with family and friends doesn’t mean you stop showing up for you. Why? Because you can never show up your best for others if you are not doing work on yourself.
The work is chasing your passion. That thing that makes you excited. Fills your heart, motivates the soul.
That’s your purpose.
But guess what? There is no passion committee that’s going to hold you to following your dreams. No one to tell you 100% when the ‘right’ time is.
The right time is when you start. But how do you start?
1. Build Momentum.
Waiting does not make you any more prepared than you are right now. In fact, it’s a myth that waiting will get you prepared. You only start learning when you get out of your comfort zone. Sure, there may be some things you need to wait on (if your dream is to climb Mt. Everest and you’ve never been hiking, you’ve got some steps to take before setting out for that mountain).
The secret is to start. Start where you are. Start unprepared. Start imperfect. Just start. And stop overthinking. The growth in learning comes from the starting.
Remember, JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter while struggling to raise her child as a single mom. She didn’t wait for stability to start.
2. The world needs you NOW.
The world will not wait for you to get your act together. It needs you now. No matter how old you are, your ideas matter. It’s about passion and persistence. The more time you think about doing something, the less you spend doing it. This is why Mel Robbin’s 5 Second Rule works. It interrupts your thought process of overthinking to just do it already.
3. There Are Consequences to Waiting
Ideas grow stale. Motivation fades.
Regret will always linger.
And it’s understood that many of us face struggle. Struggle is a part of life. There may not be enough time, money, support to go after your dream. You may feel defeated.
But here’s the thing: if you don’t try to make a way out, you’ll always be stuck. It’s up to you to do something, anything you can to get going. Even if that just means getting out of bed. You have to start.
4. Don’t Let Go of Your Ideas
Great ideas can come at any age and you are free to change your ideas and way of thinking. Laura Ingalls Wilder didn’t publish her Little House books until age 65. Vera Wang started designing wedding gowns at 40.
Orion Jean was eleven years old when he founded the Race to Kindness foundation in 2020. That same year, his organization held a Race to 100K Meals event that provided over 100,000 free meals for families across the country.
The point? You can start at any age. And everything great starts with a simple idea.
5. Micro-Start
But how do you start? You Micro-Start!
Want to write a book? Start by writing a paragraph. Better yet, write one sentence that simply says what your book will be about.
Want to start a business? Launch a basic website or social media page.
Need to eat healthy? Try a new healthy recipe. Clean out the junk food from your house.
Looking to learn something new? Read about your topic of interest for ten minutes a day.
You’d be surprised how one sentence, one action, one healthy choice accumulates. The trick is to keep doing it. Build consistency. Before you know it, you’ll see your dream come to fruition.
But only you can drive it there.
The world won’t wait for you. Your dreams won’t either.
Start now. Even if you don't feel ready, you are. You’re ready enough.
Till Next Time,
Sarah
AKA A Busy Lady
P.S.
Book News:
A lot has been happening on the book front! I have a few events coming up, you can check them out here. I’m also super excited to have been chosen as the Local Author Spotlight for the Indie Bookstore, Folklore & Fable Booksellers. There are more surprises coming. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I’m hard at work on my next novel. I can’t wait to share it with you!
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A Busy Lady is written by an actual human—no AI, just chocolate, creativity, and a love for storytelling. This also means there may be an occasional typo, just to prove a human did it ;)
very inspiring thank you