The Risk of Waiting Too Long to Begin

Perfection is a scam

A while ago, I asked ChatGPT to summarize what it had learned about me from our years of interaction.

I was expecting compliments.

You know... things like: “Amma, you’re brilliant.” “Amma, you’re insightful.” “Amma, the world is lucky to have you.” Something along those lines. 😄

Instead, it pointed out an area for development that honestly left me wondering whether I should be impressed or offended.

The tool concluded that one of my biggest challenges was that I tend to wait too long before starting anything. Its reasoning? Because I like to have everything figured out before I make a move, whether in my career, business, or personal projects. According to ChatGPT, this habit has cost me opportunities over the years.

My reaction?

“The impudence of a dying cockroach!” 😂

I did not take it well. Not at all. In fact, I thought I finally understood why people say AI makes mistakes. Surely, ChatGPT had gotten it wrong this time.

But then I did something dangerous. I sat down and reflected. Not for two minutes, not for five minutes. I took an honest look at the last fifteen-plus years of my life and career.

And as painful as it was to admit... no single lie was told.

## THE HABIT I DIDN’T WANT TO SEE

I realized that I had developed a habit of waiting until I felt 100% ready before making any significant move. I wanted certainty. I wanted confidence. I wanted all the answers. I wanted to know exactly how things would turn out before taking the first step.

By the time I finally felt “ready,” one of two things had usually happened:

- Someone else had already executed the idea.

- Someone else had already gotten the opportunity.

Ouch.

That realization humbled me. It became clear that my fear wasn’t failure. My fear was starting before I felt fully prepared. And because of that, I delayed. A lot.

From that moment, I made a decision. I would start taking the step first and learn along the way. Not recklessly, not carelessly, but faithfully.

Because the truth is, many of life’s greatest opportunities don’t come with complete instructions.

## THE PERSON THIS IS FOR

This article is for anyone who may be stuck in the same place I was. The person waiting for the perfect timing, the perfect plan, the perfect amount of money, the perfect level of confidence, the perfect conditions before they begin.

Can I tell you something?

While you’re waiting for perfect, someone else is moving with available.

And many times, available beats perfect. Every single time.

## GIDEON WAS HIDING

Think about Gideon. When the angel appeared to him, he called him:

> “Mighty man of valour.”

Meanwhile, Gideon was hiding. Hiding ooo! 😄 Imagine that.

The angel didn’t call him according to his current state. He called him according to what God saw inside him.

That teaches me something powerful. God does not always wait for us to become what He called us before He calls us. Sometimes He calls us first, and we become it along the journey.

I have also realized that God does not necessarily need a perfect vessel. He needs a willing one. A yielded one. Someone who is willing to say:

> “Lord, I don’t have everything figured out, but I am willing to move.”

Then He does the moulding. He does the shaping. He does the refining.

## SO LET ME ASK YOU

Has God given you an idea? A business? A ministry? A project? A career move? A difficult conversation you need to have? A family reconciliation you’ve been postponing?

Please don’t wait ten years like I did.

Take the step. You may not have all the information today, but you will gather information along the way. You may not have all the confidence today, but confidence grows through action. Not waiting.

## THE REAL RISK

One lesson I’ve learned is this: the risk of waiting too long isn’t just delay. The risk is that you remain standing in a place God has already asked you to leave.

And let’s be honest, God has other children. 😄 Don’t forget that.

If God gives ten people an assignment and nine people are still waiting for things to become perfect, the one person who moves in faith may end up walking into the opportunity first. Not because they were the smartest. Not because they were the most qualified. But because they moved.

I thank God that He gave me another chance. I thank Him for the grace to start writing again. I thank Him for the opportunities that still came my way.

But if I’m being completely honest, I sometimes wish I had started earlier.

## SO LEARN FROM MY STORY

Don’t keep waiting at a place God has already left.

Take the course. Apply for the role. Start the business. Write the article. Have the conversation. Launch the project. Make the move.

Because sometimes the biggest risk is not failure. The biggest risk is waiting so long to begin that you miss the opportunity altogether.

You do not need perfect conditions to start. You simply need enough faith to take the first step. The rest can be learned along the way.

**What’s the one thing you’ve been waiting for “perfect” conditions to start? Tell me in the comments — let’s hold each other accountable. 👇**