"The timing isn't right."

This is the lie that sounds the most reasonable.

"Things are crazy right now." "I'll start after the holidays." "Once this project ends..." "The economy is too uncertain."

Here's what I need you to understand: The timing is never right. Ever.

There is no magical moment when the stars align and everything is perfect and you can finally start without risk or uncertainty.

That moment doesn't exist. It has never existed. It will never exist.

There's always something. Kids are too young. Kids are teenagers. Economy is bad. Economy is uncertain. Job is demanding. Job is unstable. Relationship needs work. Just got into a new relationship.

The list never ends.

I waited for the "right time" for years. You know what happened? It never came. Because I was looking for a moment when starting would be easy and safe.

That moment is a myth.

Here's the brutal truth: Five years from now, you'll look back and realize that RIGHT NOW was the perfect time to start. You'll see that you had more resources, more energy, more runway than you thought.

And you'll kick yourself for waiting.

That's what happened to me. When I finally committed, I realized I could have done it years earlier. All that waiting was for nothing.

If you're waiting for the "right time," ask yourself: What would right timing actually look like? If you can't answer that clearly, you're not waiting for better timing.

You're just waiting. And waiting isn't a strategy.

Done negotiating.

-Joel