What Took Me So Long?
That’s the question I asked myself once we made the decision to start the business and had a few clients. A good friend was a great encouragement and I recall his words of wisdom like it was just yesterday. “You and your dad are naturals to be consultants. Just get one client and soon you will wonder what took you so long” (Thanks Matt!)
What is it that you are scared to start? It could be a new job, running a 10K, a healthy way of eating, a regular reading regime, getting back or into a faith fellowship, connecting in person with friends, or perhaps even to start dating after getting burned. Whatever it is that you’d like to getting started and have put off for too long, it’s time. But you know it’s not easy because you have tried before.
Another recent accomplishment for me was writing the book. It was a seed of an idea that had been planted, but I was scared to start. I remember thinking, “Just because I write a weekly email, does not mean I can write a book!” But the idea would not go away, one thing led to another, and it happened.
Whatever you are thinking about taking on, give it serious consideration, pray about it, discuss the goal with someone you trust, then make it happen using these steps:
1. Decide to take on the challenge
2. Discuss with someone and ask them to hold you accountable
3. Discipline yourself daily (one day at a time!)
4. Do not look back, but focus on the goal
5. Determine to succeed, to finish
If you stop, start again. If you fail, start over. If you want to quit, don’t. Think about Peter. He and the other close friends of Jesus were in a boat on a stormy night, when Jesus approached them walking on the water. Peter took action – he asked his mentor if he could join him on the water. He was encouraged, decided to do it, got out of the boat, took a couple of steps, but then got scared, fear hit him and he sank. But before he sank, HE WALKED ON WATER!
Whether or not he consciously took time to decide, he took action and got out of the boat. We often over-think, prepare, read, plan, but never take action. What is something you have considered doing, you have the desire but perhaps not the courage to pull the trigger and try?
It’s time. Another easy, and quite justifiable excuse, is timing. But you know what? There’s never a perfect time and you will always have rational reasons to delay. But don’t. Decide and make it happen. You will not regret it. And soon you will look back and say, “What took me so long?”