I struggled with perfectionism in a pretty big way for the first thirty years of my life.

It wasn’t the kind of perfectionism rooted in looking perfect or coming across as flawless or super put-together. It was about getting things “right” so as not to cause harm to people or the planet.

I figured the more educated, dedicated, and disciplined I was, the less likely I was to say or do something hurtful, offensive, or destructive.

So, when I was thinking about pursuing coaching as a career, the advice I hated most was…

“Start before you’re ready.”

I’d already done a lot of work around my perfectionism at that point, but somehow this felt different.

Wouldn’t it be irresponsible to start before I was ready?

Looking back, I feel so grateful to the experienced entrepreneurs, practitioners, and coaches who gave me that advice. Because the truth I can now see, is that we’re rarely 100% ready for anything.

There is never a perfect time to become a parent.

There’s never a perfect time to quit your job, to start therapy, or to move across the country.

And there’s never a perfect time to explore a new calling that feels so right, yet stirs up all your self-doubt and insecurities.

The thing that moved me through those doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs was DOING the thing. Marie Forleo offers another way to think about this:

“Clarity comes from engagement, not thought.”

There’s certainly value in taking time to think through your next steps, prepare yourself, and get still in order to be able to access your deeper truths.

But there also comes a time when we’ve done enough thinking and planning and feeling to be ready to move into the strategic action phase of actualizing our dreams and callings.

If you have a burning desire within you to play bigger or pursue new passions, it’s now my turn to say it..start before you’re ready.

And if you’re a seasoned mother who longs to live a richer, more aligned life but you don’t know where to start in making changes, stay tuned for a brand new offering I created just for you!

Whatever it is that you’re feeling almost ready for, I invite you to soak in the wisdom of Clarissa Pinkola Estés (or Mama Clarissa, as some of us adoringly call her):

“We all begin the process before we are ready, before we are strong enough, before we know enough; we begin a dialogue with thoughts and feelings that both tickle and thunder within us. We respond before we know how to speak the language, before we know all the answers, and before we know exactly to whom we are speaking.

All the ‘not readies,’ all the ‘ need time,’ are understandable, but only for a short while.

As with any descent to the unconscious, there comes a time when one simply hopes for the best, pinches one’s nose, and jumps into the abyss. If this were not so, we would not have needed to create the words heroine, hero, or courage.”

Big fan of “ready enough,”