Are you Over Prepared?

Are you preparing for the next step or the next phase in life? STOP. That’s right, it’s time to stop preparing and start actually doing.

When I was in 6th grade we had to keep a 3″ binder organized with all of our papers for the year. I hated this, I hate binders, punching holes, filing papers, not my thing. My teacher said that we had to do it because they were preparing us for 7th grade. Guess what, I got to 7th grade and no one cared if I used a binder. So I went through a whole year, trying to punch and file, and putting those dumb circle reinforces on the pages that ripped, to prepare for something that never came.

In 8th grade they had us take finals. We were told that we needed to take finals in 8th grade so that we would be ready for them in high school. Once I got to high school I was told that I was taking finals and writing term papers so that I could get ready for college. Guess what, when I got to college I didn’t have to write a term paper, nor did I have to take finals.

Are you sensing the theme here. We were always preparing for the next thing, that never came. It never came for a few reasons. One things change, so maybe at one point in middle school they made you use a big binder, but by the time I got there, that changed. Yes , some people have to take finals in college. But I majored in Art Edu, and our finals were making projects, and teaching lessons.

The truth is , we don’t know what the future brings, we can not predict it, we can guess, but don’t waste all of your time preparing for something that may never come. Instead be where you are. Do what you need to do now, in reality that is the best way to be prepared for the future.

I’m working hard at growing my creative business, but if I spend all of my time preparing and no time doing, I”m not going to go anywhere. Often we get stuck in prepare mode as it seems safer. Prepare mode is on the edge of commitment, but you need to prepare and then jump, even if you don’t think that you’re ready. Because just like we spend 13 years in school being prepared for college, that is than to prepare us to get the perfect job, that is to then prepare us for life… Really how did that work out for you? If you spend time being where you are, you will be prepared for 10 years down the road.

What have you been spending all of your time preparing for, but not actually doing? Write down three steps as to how you are going to put all of your preparedness into action, and then leap. Leave a comment below and tell me where you going.

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