Overcoming Excuses: Do It Before You’re Ready

Excuses Are Silent Dream Killers

Excuses are like sugar-coated lies. Sweet on the surface. Deadly underneath. They whisper, “Wait a little,” “Not yet,” “Maybe later.” Before you know it, weeks fly by. Dreams dim. Potential rots.

Excuses are also sneaky little thieves. They steal your dreams, rob your progress and convince you that tomorrow is always a better day to start. But let’s be real—how many “tomorrows” have you already wasted?

I know because I’ve lived it.

“I’ll do it when I’m more prepared.”
“I just need to get through this week.”
“This idea needs more polishing.”
Sound familiar?

Steven Pressfield, in The War of Art, calls this inner resistance “the most toxic force on the planet.” It’s the reason many never write the book, launch the business, apply for the job—or in my case, post consistently. I had drafts. Ideas. Moments of inspiration. But I kept waiting for the “perfect” time.

Spoiler alert: Perfect never shows up. It’s a mirage.

TD Jakes once said in a sermon, “You will never be 100% ready. If God waited until you were ready, He’d still be waiting.” That hit hard. Because if I’m honest, I wasn’t stalling for lack of content. I was stalling from fear—of judgment, of imperfection, of not being enough.

But God doesn’t call the equipped—He equips the called. (Moses didn’t feel ready. Gideon didn’t feel ready. Mary didn’t either.)

Are you willing?

Mel Robbins’ 5 Second Rule teaches that hesitation is the kiss of death for action. You have five seconds to move—otherwise, your brain will kill the idea. And I’d been letting mine win, every time.

The truth is, success isn’t about being ready. It’s about being willing to;

Start when it’s messy.
Show up scared.
Look silly before you look polished.

Think about YouTubers like Matt D’Avella or Marie Forleo. Their early videos? Cringe by their standards now. But they posted anyway. Look at them now.

Or that story Christine Caine told—about being called to preach in places where she felt totally unqualified. But she showed up. Nervous. Unsure. Still obedient. And God moved.

Success favors action, not perfection.

So here I am. No grand launch. No perfect plan. Just a commitment to do the thing—even when I don’t feel “ready.”

Because delaying for perfection is just procrastination in disguise.

And I’m done letting that kill my progress.

The Trap of “I’ll Start When I’m Ready”

Let’s be real—ready is a lie we tell ourselves to feel safe.

It sounds responsible. Wise, even. But most of the time, it’s fear wearing a nice suit. And fear doesn’t knock—it whispers.

“I’ll start when I’m ready.”
“When the timing’s better.”
“When I feel more confident.”

But here’s the punchline: You probably won’t feel ready. Not fully. Not ever.

Jon Acuff, in Start: Punch Fear in the Face, says, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” Read that again.

We stall, waiting for the stars to align. But life doesn’t work that way. Growth begins when comfort ends.

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Jon Acuff, in Start: Punch Fear in the Face

Why We Wait:

1. Fear of Failure

What if I mess up?
Or what if they laugh?
Also what if it flops?

Failure feels final—but it isn’t.
Ask Thomas Edison—he failed 1,000 times before inventing the lightbulb. His response? “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The lightbulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Also, Peter? He sank. But he also walked on water.

2. Perfectionism

We want all our ducks in a row.
Problem is—we don’t even have ducks. We have squirrels. On caffeine.
Perfectionism is fear in disguise. Brené Brown calls it “a twenty-ton shield that we lug around thinking it will protect us, when in fact, it’s the thing that’s preventing us from being seen.”

3. Overthinking

What if this isn’t the best move?
What if there’s a better idea tomorrow?
Paralysis by analysis. You think so hard you do nothing.
As Tim Ferriss says in The 4-Hour Workweek, “Conditions are never perfect. ‘Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.”

4. Lack of Confidence

Who am I to do this?
Am I even good enough?
Moses asked the same thing: “Who am I that I should go?” (Exodus 3:11)
God didn’t respond with a pep talk. He simply said, “I will be with you.”

That’s the key. It’s not about how ready you feel—it’s about who’s with you.

You’re not alone. You’ve never been.

And when you feel like you are an impostor remember Steve Job`s words “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.”  Read more on this topic in this article; Breaking Free From Impostor Syndrome: Grow With Confidence

What Happens When You Wait?

If you’re waiting for the right moment, let me be blunt—it will never come. The only way to get ready is to start. Start scared. Start unsure. Start messy. But start.

Lessons from ALX: Doing Hard Things Anyway

One of the biggest shifts in my life last year came wrapped in a hashtag: #DoingHardThings.

That was the mantra at ALX during my Virtual Assistant course. And no, it wasn’t just a cute slogan—it was a whole mindset upgrade.

We didn’t just talk about grit. We lived it.

Late nights. Confusing modules. Technical hiccups. Days we didn’t feel like showing up—but did anyway.

And that’s where the magic happened.

Because guess what? Growth doesn’t wait for perfect moods.
Breakthroughs don’t happen in your comfort zone.
They come in the messy middle—when you choose to try anyway.

Craig Groeschel says, “Successful people do consistently what others do occasionally.” That’s it. That’s the secret.

Showing up

Tired.
Unsure.
But showing up anyway.

At ALX, I realized: Confidence isn’t built in your head. It’s built through motion. Through messy action. Through doing hard things.

The Science of Doing Hard Things

A 2016 study in Psychological Science confirmed it—people who take action before they feel ready actually develop more confidence, not less.

Key takeaways?

• People who act fast are 70% more likely to achieve their goals.
• Those who wait for perfect conditions often never start.
• The more you do scary things, the less scary they become.

Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, explains this well: “The brain rewards courage. Taking action triggers dopamine—not success. The act of doing builds momentum.”

Faith backs this too.

David ran toward Goliath. Not after a strategy meeting. Not after psyching himself up. He ran. With stones. And belief.

Joyce Meyer says, “Do it afraid.” Because obedience doesn’t wait for fear to disappear.

So whether it’s a class, a calling, or a creative dream—doing hard things isn’t optional. It’s the way forward.

No More Excuses

There’s a saying in Kenya:
“Mali safi haikai sokoni.”
(Good things don’t stay in the market for long.)

Translation?
Opportunities don’t wait. And neither should you.

In Africa, we’re no strangers to tough terrain.
Youth unemployment.
Economic instability.
A system that often feels like it’s working against us.

But here’s the truth: tough times are fertile ground for bold dreams.

Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
And across the continent, there are young people proving that daily.

People launching businesses from kiosks.
Starting tech hubs in dusty towns.
Creating content on borrowed Wi-Fi and cracked phones.

They’re not waiting for perfect setups. They’re showing up with what they have.

“A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today.” — Karen Lamb

We have to do the same.

Waiting for someone to hand you a job, a platform, or permission?
That train might never arrive.

Milton Berle said, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”
In Africa, we don’t just build doors—we carve entire roads through the wilderness.

Look at Tony Elumelu Foundation fellows. Or Ajira Digital here in Kenya. Or creators like Elsa Majimbo, who went global just by showing up as herself—with raw humor and zero pretense.

That’s the energy.

• Use what’s in your hand.
• Knock if the door is closed. Kick it if you have to.
• Stop waiting. Start building.

Excuses may sound reasonable—but they don’t feed futures.

We are the generation that doesn’t just talk about change. We are the change.

How to Overcome the Excuses Mindset

Start Before You’re Ready

“Faith without works is dead.” — James 2:17

Let’s be honest.

You’ll never feel “fully” ready.
Not for the business.
Or for the book.
Not for the podcast, YouTube channel, or career switch.
Or even for the healing.

But here’s the secret: you don’t need to feel ready to begin.

Want to build a brand?
Start with your next post.
Want to write a book?
Open a blank Google Doc.
Want to learn a new skill?
Take that free course—today.

“The moment you want to quit is the moment you need to push.” — Inky Johnson

We keep waiting for the perfect mood, the perfect plan, the perfect time. But perfection is a myth dressed in procrastination.

And truthfully? The first step is always the scariest.

But once you move—God meets you there.

Even scripture echoes this rhythm:

“If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” — Isaiah 1:19

Willing. Obedient. Not perfect. Not polished. Just—present.

No More Excuses. Just Movement.

This is your sign. This is your moment.

• Start the blog.
• Apply for that dream job—even if your CV isn’t “perfect.”
• Pitch your service.
• Record that first episode.
• Show up for your life.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe

Your Personal Challenge:

What’s one thing you’ve been postponing out of fear, doubt, or perfectionism?

Write it down. Say it out loud. Drop it in the comments.

Let’s be accountable to each other.

🚀 Today, I choose to start. I choose to move scared. I choose to show up for the version of me that’s still becoming.

Let’s bloom—together.

#DoingHardThings #FaithInAction #StartScared #NoMoreExcuses #BuildInTheMess