What Are You Waiting For??

It's that time of year! Holiday parties abound. We're coming into the holidays and the end of December. And it's the time of year when many people are starting to think towards 2021, towards the next year and what they want to create.

What's interesting, as I engage with people, is I've heard over and over that people are waiting for something. It’s so ubiquitous a conversation, it got me curious about why waiting seems to be our favorite excuse – the mindset that gets in our way most often and prevents us from moving powerfully forward.

Now, there are times when it makes sense to wait. Times when prudence is called for. I’m not saying that putting things on hold is necessarily a bad thing. 

There are times, however, when waiting generates from a place of overwhelm, scarcity, fear, circumstances and a lack of possibility. Those are the times when waiting doesn’t serve us or our commitments to living an awesome life. Let’s take a quick look at a few of these…

Waiting for events

I hear a lot of people waiting for the end of the holidays or waiting for the end of the year. I've heard people say, “I want to wait until after the holidays are over – and THEN I'll start thinking about what I'm going to create in 2021”.  News flash: By the time you do it, 2021 is already going to be well underway. At the foundation of this waiting excuse is that people are overwhelmed. They're too busy to think about the larger picture, too busy to stop, take a breath, and actually invest in what they want because they’re stomping out fires. 

The problem with this waiting excuse is that the fires never stop burning. Rarely does life slow down for us. You have to make the time and honor it. Life is precious and urgent. I’ve never heard anyone say “Carpe Cras” – Seize Tomorrow. There is no perfect time for you to start planning except now. Why not take it advantage of the time that you have right now to set plans for life. The more you wait, the more you're going to put it off and it's time wasted and time lost.

Waiting for money

It doesn’t matter what people want – more than anything else, they’re usually waiting for money to show up in their bank account before they take action.

Now, this is a bit tricky. Yes, you can’t buy things or pay for things with money you don’t have. But the trick is with the commitment. Most people wait to commit to something until they have the money in hand. The most powerful people commit to what they want and THEN generate the money.

Consider the following statement – “I want X, but I don’t have the money, so I’ll wait until I have the money”. Waiting is absolutely required, and success is dependent on circumstances, leaving the individual relatively powerless.

Now, consider the alternative. “I am committing to X and I will generate the money to get it”. Can you hear the shift? Not only is the commitment firm, but action is required and agency is implied. The difference comes from shifting from a mindset of lack to a mindset of abundance. 

Flip the script – Don’t wait and hope. Commit and generate. 

Waiting for circumstances

This one gets me the most. Because it’s a lie we tell ourselves. And it’s slyly convincing. I know you’ve heard it before: I’ll start my firm when the economy improves. I’ll change jobs once this project is finished because I’m needed here. I’ll make longer-range plans once things settle down. Sound familiar?

Waiting for circumstances is super convenient and seductive because it allows us to abdicate our power and personal responsibility for our own results. We get to play the victim if things don’t work out and blame the rest of the world if we don’t generate the results we want.

I encourage you to listen to your language. Where are you giving away your power? How are you playing it safe? What would have to stop waiting and jump into the fray, make a mess, and play full-out?

Waiting for permission

This is perhaps the most tragic of the bunch. I occasionally run into people who have the time, have the money, all the stars are aligned, and they STILL are waiting for…something. Perhaps fear has them paralyzed. Perhaps the possibility of brilliant success or abject failure has them “waiting for a sign”. 

It’s okay to be scared. If you’re not terrified, you’re probably not playing a big enough game in life. Maybe you need a friend or mentor to support you in your choice. But GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION. Permission to live your life fully expressed. Permission to make mistakes. Permission to succeed wildly. Permission to learn and love.

‘Nuff said.

What are YOU waiting for?

Stop waiting. Come play.