Stop Waiting for the Right Moment, It Will Never Come

You think you'll start when you’re ready. When life slows down. When conditions align perfectly.

That’s a lie.

Because every time you push it to “tomorrow,” you’re reinforcing the habit of not starting.

Deep down, you already know this. But your brain is a master at convincing you otherwise. It whispers:

• Now’s not the time.

• You need more knowledge first.

• You should wait until you feel motivated.

Here’s the cold truth: You will never feel ready.

And if you wait, you’ll wake up a year from now, stuck in the exact same place, wondering why nothing changed.

"You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." – Zig Ziglar

The Dangerous Illusion of “The Right Time”

I almost fell into this trap myself.

Two years ago, I was in my final year of high school, the year society claims will “define my future.”

I wanted to start my business. But that voice in my head told me, Just wait. Finish college first. Then start during the summer. Or in college. Or maybe after that.

Thankfully, I ignored it.

I took action before I knew what I was doing. It was messy. It was uncertain. But I started. And now, Alhamdulillah, I’m here, grateful I didn’t wait.

Most people aren’t so lucky. They let “waiting” become a lifestyle.

They tell themselves they’ll go to the gym next week. They’ll start the side hustle next month. They’ll write the book next year.

The cycle never ends.

The Scary Part? You’ll Start to Believe Your Own Excuses

The more you tell yourself “I’ll do it later,” the more your brain rewires itself to believe that’s an acceptable answer.

Until, eventually, it becomes your default mode.

Years slip by. Nothing changes. And you don’t even realize it’s happening.

How do you break free?

1. Set a Hard Deadline

Nothing happens without urgency. If there’s no deadline, there’s no action.

I wanted to start a blog. But I kept delaying it.

What if I don’t know how? What if no one reads it? That hesitation stretched into months.

Then I set a hard deadline: 13 days.

I finished in two.

Here’s the trick: Compress your timeline. Give yourself a ridiculously short window.

The tighter the deadline, the faster you’ll move.

Deadlines create focus. Imagine you have an exam tomorrow, suddenly, you can absorb a week’s worth of knowledge in one night. That’s the power of urgency.

2. Lower the Bar to Entry

Most people don’t start because they think the first step has to be big.

It doesn’t.

• Want to start a business? Buy a domain.

• Want to go to the gym? Sign up today, don’t even work out.

• Want to create content? Write one bad post. Hit publish.

The smaller the action, the easier it is to take. And once you move, momentum builds.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." – Lao Tzu

Momentum is everything.

Once you identify with being someone who takes action, you don’t stop. The identity shift is what keeps you going.

3. Stop Seeking the Perfect Conditions

You think you need a clean slate. The right mood. A fresh start.

But the world doesn’t pause for your convenience.

Even today, I’m sick. I don’t feel like writing. I don’t have a perfect idea. But here I am, writing anyway.

And guess what? The words are flowing.

Action creates clarity. Not the other way around.

Most successful people don’t wait for inspiration, they create it through action.

They don’t wait for motivation, they act, and motivation follows.

4. Think Less, Move More

Your brain is an overthinking machine. It will talk you out of action if you let it.

• What if I fail?

• What if people judge me?

• What if I’m not good enough?

None of that matters. Stop looking at the whole staircase. Just take the first step.

"We suffer more in imagination than in reality." – Seneca

The real pain isn’t in starting—it’s in the regret of not starting.

5. Reframe Failure as Progress

Most people fear failure because they think it defines them. It doesn’t. Failure is just data.

Every “failure” moves you one step closer to success. Every rejection, every flop, every mistake—it’s all feedback.

Success is built on a pile of failures. The only real failure is never trying.

6. Stop Waiting for Permission

No one is coming to give you the green light. You don’t need approval. You don’t need credentials.

You don’t need someone to say, You’re ready.

You become ready by doing.

• The best writers start writing before they feel like a writer.

• The best entrepreneurs start before they know how to run a business.

• The best athletes train before they feel like champions.

Your future self is watching. What will you do today to make them proud?

What You Need to Do Right Now

If you’ve read this far, you already know what needs to happen.

You need to take the first step. Right now.

No overthinking. No excuses. Just move.

• Set a deadline. Right now. Decide when you’ll start.

• Take one tiny action. Make it so small you can’t say no.

• Commit publicly. Tell someone. Make it real.

And if you want to track what you’re starting, make it easier, and hold yourself accountable, Second Brain 6.0 is built to help → Click here to get it.

Final Thoughts

Waiting is comfortable. It feels safe. But it’s an illusion.

Nothing changes until you move. And once you do, everything changes.

Your future self is watching. Will they be proud of the action you took today?

Or will they be stuck, still waiting, just like you are right now?

The choice is yours.

So stop waiting. Move.

Thank you for reading

Osama AKA Ols