What are you waiting for ??

I quit my shipping career in 2009 to pursue higher education
At that time, I was sailing as a Captain in merchant marine
Some of you may recollect that 2009 was the midst of subprime mortgage crisis
Probably the biggest financial crisis the world had ever seen till that time
Markets had crashed, companies were going bankrupt, economies were in recession
The entire world was going through an extreme phase of uncertainty
Almost everyone, including my family, thought it was a foolish decision

Leaving a well-paying, well-settled job during the peak of an economic crisis
Was it a big risk ?
Yes, it was !
Was it scary ?
Hell YES ! It was scary and it was crazy !!
I was not even sure if I will even get a job after completing my MBA
On top of it, I had even taken an education loan :)
Recession + debt = a really bad combination, right ??
But let me tell you the other side of this story
You see….
I had been contemplating higher studies for some time, but every year I would push my plans to next year for some or the other reason
In hindsight, I could have waited some more, right ?
But with so much uncertainty at that time, no one really knew when the crisis will be over, when the economy will recover
It could have been a long wait for me..a really long wait
So I made a powerful decision and took action
Eventually things worked in the long run
I was able to complete my MBA and landed an offer with one of the most powerful investment banks on the wall street

That decision allowed me to make a dramatic switch from shipping to the world of investment banking
My biggest learning through this experience….
You simply cannot time things in life
Most people believe in waiting for the right time to do something in their lives
But the truth is….
That right time will NEVER come
You can keep on waiting forever, giving all possible excuses why you should not act now
But what you forget is that your life is happening right NOW

You know….
It is almost funny when people talk about an assumed future state to take action….
You live your life under the false assumption that there will be a time in your life when everything would have settled down
You keep pushing your dreams out in the future by telling yourself a story
You will do it when…..
..When you will have money
..When your kids will go to college
..When you will pay off the mortgage
..When you will have no worries, no obligations
..When you will be truly free to pursue your dreams
Then you will take action

And if you keep thinking like that, you will NEVER be ready to take action
That tomorrow you assume when everything will be sorted out will NEVER come
That is just how life is. Period
Remember....
THERE WILL NEVER BE A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING
So you can wait for an assumed tomorrow or you can take powerful decisions and actions. TODAY
So what are you really waiting for ? 

What is really holding you back ?
I will tell you what is holding you back
FEAR
You are afraid to take action because you do not want to leave your comfort zone
You fear the unknown, you fear failure, you fear uncertainty
And that is what is stopping you from moving ahead in life
Look….
You can keep on pushing your dreams into the future, but what this also means is that your dreams will remains just dreams
And you know the most interesting thing….
Despite all your assumptions and preparations, you will NEVER be ready to take that leap
So what is the way out ?
Well, all you need to do is take a powerful stand for yourself
Make a powerful decision and then….
Take action
Despite your fears....
And once you go for it, you will realize that it was not as scary as it seemed
So here is your weekly reflection :

1) What are some of the things you have been pushing into the future ?
2) What are you exactly waiting for ? Do you truly believe whatever you are waiting for will happen ? Hand over heart and answer
3) If you have to pick up just one thing which you have been pushing out and start it today, what will that be ?
4) What action do you need to take to make it happen ?

I would be interested to what came up for you as you read this article
And if you really want to make breakthrough in your life and overcome your fears, book a short exploratory call here (Book Your Call)