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96. Stop Waiting to Be Ready
Episode 96: Stop Waiting to Be Ready
The Career Clinic Podcast
Host: Ronnie Dickerson Stewart
Episode OverviewWelcome back to The Career Clinic Podcast 🤎.
In Episode 96, Ronnie addresses something that quietly stalls more careers and ideas than lack of talent ever does: the habit of waiting to feel ready.
This episode explores why readiness is often a moving target, how over-preparation can become avoidance, and why clarity rarely arrives before action. Whether you're considering a pivot, launching something new, raising your hand, or finally starting the thing you've been thinking about for years, this conversation is about moving forward without the illusion of perfect timing.
What You'll Learn in This Episode✔️ Why readiness is more of a decision than a feeling ✔️ The hidden cost of waiting too long ✔️ How over-preparation can delay execution ✔️ Why waiting for permission slows momentum ✔️ The myth of perfect timing ✔️ Three practical ways to move before you feel fully ready
The Readiness TrapWhen people say, "I'm not ready," it's rarely about actual capability. More often, it's about exposure, uncertainty, or fear of being seen before everything feels polished.
Ronnie reflects on launching this podcast without a 100-episode plan, stepping away from a C-suite role without a fully mapped five-year blueprint, and beginning the process of writing a book without knowing every detail of how it would unfold. In each case, clarity followed movement. It did not precede it.
The idea that you will feel completely prepared before taking action is one of the most convincing myths in professional life.
The Cost of Waiting 🤎We often overestimate the risk of starting and underestimate the cost of delaying.
Waiting can erode confidence. It can shrink momentum. It can quietly chip away at self-trust. The longer you sit with something you know you want to pursue, the louder doubt becomes and the smaller your original conviction feels.
At some point, the cost of waiting outweighs the discomfort of beginning.
Three Common Disguises of "I'm Not Ready"Over-preparation. Taking another course, reading another book, asking five more people for input. Preparation is wise. Endless preparation that never converts to execution is avoidance.
Waiting for permission. There is rarely a formal invitation to step into your next chapter. No one is coming to certify you as ready. Authority is often assumed, not granted.
Perfect timing. There will always be a reorg, a busy season, a market shift, or a personal responsibility that makes now feel inconvenient. Timing matters, but perfection is not a prerequisite for progress.
How to Move Before You Feel Ready ✍🏾First, shrink the ask. Instead of taking the full leap, take the next step. Send the email. Outline the idea. Have the conversation. Test the concept. Small action builds real clarity.
Second, set a decision date. If something has been circulating in your mind for months, give yourself a deadline to decide your next move. Not the entire plan — just the next move.
Third, borrow belief. If your fear is louder than your confidence, talk to someone who can hold perspective with you. A trusted friend, mentor, or coach can help steady the narrative long enough for you to move.
Listener Invitation 🤎If something has been tugging at you — an idea, a pivot, a conversation, an application — consider whether you're truly unprepared or simply uncomfortable.
You may not feel ready. That doesn't mean you aren't capable.
What's NextWe are approaching Episode 100 in March, and something special is coming 🤎.
New episodes of The Career Clinic Podcast drop every Wednesday. Make sure you follow or subscribe so you don't miss what's next. If this episode resonated, share it with someone who may be waiting on themselves.
Stay Connected 🤎📩 Join the OhHeyMonday Newsletter Weekly reflections and grounded leadership tools 👉🏾 www.ohheyjoin.com
🤝 Work With Ronnie / OhHeyCoach Executive coaching and leadership development 👉🏾 www.ohheycoach.com
Final Thought 🤎Readiness often arrives after you begin, not before. If you've been waiting for a feeling to confirm what you already know, it may be time to trust your judgment and take the next step.
See you next Wednesday.
View all episodes
By Ronnie Dickerson StewartEpisode 96: Stop Waiting to Be Ready
The Career Clinic Podcast
Host: Ronnie Dickerson Stewart
Episode OverviewWelcome back to The Career Clinic Podcast 🤎.
In Episode 96, Ronnie addresses something that quietly stalls more careers and ideas than lack of talent ever does: the habit of waiting to feel ready.
This episode explores why readiness is often a moving target, how over-preparation can become avoidance, and why clarity rarely arrives before action. Whether you're considering a pivot, launching something new, raising your hand, or finally starting the thing you've been thinking about for years, this conversation is about moving forward without the illusion of perfect timing.
What You'll Learn in This Episode✔️ Why readiness is more of a decision than a feeling ✔️ The hidden cost of waiting too long ✔️ How over-preparation can delay execution ✔️ Why waiting for permission slows momentum ✔️ The myth of perfect timing ✔️ Three practical ways to move before you feel fully ready
The Readiness TrapWhen people say, "I'm not ready," it's rarely about actual capability. More often, it's about exposure, uncertainty, or fear of being seen before everything feels polished.
Ronnie reflects on launching this podcast without a 100-episode plan, stepping away from a C-suite role without a fully mapped five-year blueprint, and beginning the process of writing a book without knowing every detail of how it would unfold. In each case, clarity followed movement. It did not precede it.
The idea that you will feel completely prepared before taking action is one of the most convincing myths in professional life.
The Cost of Waiting 🤎We often overestimate the risk of starting and underestimate the cost of delaying.
Waiting can erode confidence. It can shrink momentum. It can quietly chip away at self-trust. The longer you sit with something you know you want to pursue, the louder doubt becomes and the smaller your original conviction feels.
At some point, the cost of waiting outweighs the discomfort of beginning.
Three Common Disguises of "I'm Not Ready"Over-preparation. Taking another course, reading another book, asking five more people for input. Preparation is wise. Endless preparation that never converts to execution is avoidance.
Waiting for permission. There is rarely a formal invitation to step into your next chapter. No one is coming to certify you as ready. Authority is often assumed, not granted.
Perfect timing. There will always be a reorg, a busy season, a market shift, or a personal responsibility that makes now feel inconvenient. Timing matters, but perfection is not a prerequisite for progress.
How to Move Before You Feel Ready ✍🏾First, shrink the ask. Instead of taking the full leap, take the next step. Send the email. Outline the idea. Have the conversation. Test the concept. Small action builds real clarity.
Second, set a decision date. If something has been circulating in your mind for months, give yourself a deadline to decide your next move. Not the entire plan — just the next move.
Third, borrow belief. If your fear is louder than your confidence, talk to someone who can hold perspective with you. A trusted friend, mentor, or coach can help steady the narrative long enough for you to move.
Listener Invitation 🤎If something has been tugging at you — an idea, a pivot, a conversation, an application — consider whether you're truly unprepared or simply uncomfortable.
You may not feel ready. That doesn't mean you aren't capable.
What's NextWe are approaching Episode 100 in March, and something special is coming 🤎.
New episodes of The Career Clinic Podcast drop every Wednesday. Make sure you follow or subscribe so you don't miss what's next. If this episode resonated, share it with someone who may be waiting on themselves.
Stay Connected 🤎📩 Join the OhHeyMonday Newsletter Weekly reflections and grounded leadership tools 👉🏾 www.ohheyjoin.com
🤝 Work With Ronnie / OhHeyCoach Executive coaching and leadership development 👉🏾 www.ohheycoach.com
Final Thought 🤎Readiness often arrives after you begin, not before. If you've been waiting for a feeling to confirm what you already know, it may be time to trust your judgment and take the next step.
See you next Wednesday.