“We do not seize the day. We wait for the right day.” – unknown

Truth be told, I did not see myself agreeing with the enthusiastic motivational speakers in my life. Their aggressive “start now” mantra seemed rather forced when I was lying in bed aimlessly for months waiting for the “right” time and job to cross my path. I kept repeating to myself that I had done all that was required of me and that I had just returned home from college, so the timing was not yet “right” for me to jump back into another season of busy days.

The mythical “right time.” I am not saying the right time does not exist. There is a time in one’s life where circumstances are favourable, pointing towards something decisive. However, I think most of us seldom access it. I have often had people tell me, “it is about the perfect timing” or “it is probably not the right time.” But I now think of the “right time” as a moving target. Chances are, I might miss it. The idea that there is a”right time” has often made it hard for me to enjoy the current time. There have been multiple instances where I have waited for that right time; the right time to leave an unhealthy friendship, the right time to start a business, the right time to speak up… While simultaneously losing sleep over the delayed window of perfect timing. Intrinsically, I concluded that the idea that timing is everything, either serves as an excuse for our hesitance or an explanation for that one time everything is perfectly aligned. The concept of perfect timing excuses us from making definitive choices because we are busy piling our certainties on the lack of the right time. I think the “right time” is often the present.

For instance, now is the best time to choose me and leave that toxic friendship or to start the business because the longer I stay inactive waiting for the right time, the smaller the possibilities to achieve those goals. Of course, I will admit that blaming the timing for missed opportunities is rather convenient. However, waiting on the perfect time or opportunity magnifies our fear of failure and intensifies our procrastination. And while I am spending time on the “if’s” and the “what could’ve’s,” life has not stopped.

The thing about life is, it is going to happen regardless. Life is not aware we are waiting on perfect timings and perfect windows of opportunity. And if we do believe there should be a perfect, logical order to the events we partake in, we are not aware that life could care less. While we are dwelling on our circumstances, life is moving forward. There is no doubt that you have heard this multiple times, often from people that cannot comprehend the place you are in, but start now! The thing you are contemplating, waiting for perfect timing, is not insignificant to only be controlled by the notion of time.

You might not be ready or fully prepared. But the thing about not waiting for the time to be just right, a series of events begin to unfold. Holding back and awaiting the right time to start keeps us in a stagnant place. We are stuck mulling over the endless possibilities we are yet to explore. While starting now guarantees an occurrence of ideas and actions that will cater to what we are working to achieve. Similarly, the perfect window of opportunity comes to exist when we cease random moments. So, before you do anything else, begin. Right now.