Ready or Not: How to Take the Leap Towards Your Big Goals

Happy New Year! It’s good manners to say that, right? So, I’ll start by genuinely wishing you a year filled with moments that bring you closer to the life you’ve always dreamed of. The year you have always wanted to live...

But let’s get real for a moment.

Nobody gets to live an entire year of pure bliss. Life isn’t a constant high. You get moments of joy, yes, maybe periods of contentment. But riding a continuous wave of happiness isn’t how we’re built. Have you ever wondered why?

It’s because you're designed for growth. Progress is in your DNA. None of you came to this little planet to coast along a straight line of fabulously unending equilibrium. Yet, ironically, that’s what many of us long for, isn't it?

I'd rather think we’re here to push ourselves forward, grow, become more, and hopefully get to where we live fulfilling lives. You can resist this truth, or you can embrace it.

Once you embrace growth, the real question becomes: Are you ready for what comes next? Are you ready to step into the bigger life you dream of? Are you ready to take action toward those ambitious goals you’ve whispered into the great beyond?

Why Readiness Matters

The start of a new year is a magical time for making wishes, setting goals, and declaring intentions. Many of you declare your goals, whether aloud to friends or in the quiet of your mind. This is the time to tell yourself what you want to achieve in the next 365 days.

But here’s where it often goes wrong: You're not ready.

When you’re not mentally and emotionally prepared for growth, you won’t take the steps needed to turn your vision into reality. Readiness requires self-work. It requires acknowledging those fears, habits, and beliefs that keep you stuck. And when you’re not ready, you might avoid action altogether—choosing the safety of staying small over the risk of reaching higher.

I know this because I’ve been there. I’ve lived through years of feeling unprepared to take the next step. The fear of the unknown and the weight of my own subconscious and conscious obstacles held me back.

But here’s the truth: You don’t need to FEEL ready to start. You just need to start.

The Practice of Getting Ready

Getting ready isn’t just a feeling; it’s an intentional practice I've adopted in the last couple of years. It’s a series of small steps that help you overcome fear, build confidence, and move closer to the life you envision.

Let me give you an example.

The other day, I was at a creative space, chatting with a very talented lady - let’s call her Isa. She’s a skilled pottery artist with a natural gift for teaching. While chatting a number of us encouraged Isa to start a WhatsApp group from which she could share her knowledge and organise classes for people eager to learn from her.

Isa loved the idea, but guess what happened? Nothing. Nada. Two weeks later, the group still doesn’t exist. Why? Because Isa wasn’t ready. Despite all her amazing talent and her long-term yearning to teach, she simply couldn’t take that next step at that moment. To any of you looking from the outside, this may seem like a small step to take. But to her, it was insurmountable.

I get it. Because I’ve been Isa before. I’ve let fear and uncertainty hold me back plenty of times.

Yet over recent years, I’ve learned that READINESS ISN'T A PREREQUISITE FOR ACTION. In fact, taking action is often what creates readiness. Read that aloud again. TAKING ACTION CREATES READINESS.

Here are some of the steps I've included in my Practice of "Getting Ready":

Getting ready is about taking small, intentional actions toward your dreams, even when fear is present. Especially because fear is present and you don't want to wake that ugly dragon unnecessarily. It's my version of "Don't poke the dragon". Here are a few suggestions to help you start:

1. Reframe Your Fear: Remind yourself that fear is a sign you’re on the edge of growth. A sign that you are at the end of your current reality and subconscious programming. It’s not a stop sign; it’s a green light to move forward. It's also not a damn illusion or that idiotic corporate nonsense sold as "False Evidence Appearing Real". Ugh, no, Puke!
2. Take One Small Step and take it as soon as possible: Break your big goals into tiny, manageable actions. Tiny enough that you don't wake the dragon called Fear. The bigger the fear the smaller the immediate action step you take. Then do it as soon as possible. As in the next hour. Or within today. Ask: what’s one thing you can do today?
3. Visualize Success in smaller batches: I know the gurus tell you to spend a few minutes each day imagining yourself living your dream. That is so ecstatic and way too big. For most of us, it creates paralyzing feelings of overwhelm. So I've learned you should shrink your visualization down to smaller steps. For instance: Only visualize your next step already completed. Not the entire goal. Or visualize what you can accomplish in a shorter period. Or visualize what you already know is within your skill set so that you don't overwhelm your version of reality which will inevitably lock down your subconscious and prevent any chance of changing your reality. Only visualize on a greater scale once you are comfortable with practicing smaller visions. Over time this creates a mental blueprint and neural pathways that make taking action easier.
4. Adopt “Start Before You’re Ready” as a Motto: Marie Forleo is a proponent of this concept that I've adopted gladly. It helps you push past the belief that you need everything figured out before you begin. She even wrote a book about another concept I love which is called: "Everything is figureoutable". Go read up if you're interested.
5. Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge every small step you take. Small steps taken continuously make for a huge goal accomplished over time. Your subconscious needs these small incremental acknowledgments to help your mind build associations with positive things like confidence. It is a vital subconscious mindset support skill.

In my last year of practicing "Getting Ready", I've experienced more life satisfaction and happiness than in the previous 10 years of my life combined.

Over time, the practice of "getting ready" will rewire your mindset. It will create neural pathways that connect all the dots linked to confidence and accomplishment that will help you create a new habit of saying, "I can do this". Which in turn will help you take on even more ambitious goals.

For me, this practice helped me overcome my fear of social media. Four years ago it took me from posting my initial timid attempts at abstract artmaking to today where I'm receiving offers to sell my art.

Last year it pushed me to show my face on video - something I shied away from for years - and to share ideas that I hope will inspire others.

Getting ready is an art form. It’s a commitment to take consistent, small actions toward the life you would like to live.

Your Turn

This past year, I noticed how practicing "Getting Ready" is becoming a habit that transforms fear into action and dreams into reality.

So, ask yourself, what small step can you take today to get ready for your next big goal? Whatever it is, trust that it’s enough to move you forward.

Because readiness isn’t about feeling prepared - it’s about starting anyway.

Just saying…