Brain Food Wednesdays Start Before You’re Ready and Take Consistent Action

Dear Reader,

In this week’s newsletter, the 171st issue of Brain Food Wednesdays, the topic is starting before you’re ready and taking consistent action. I include two case studies, my podcast The One Problem and my newly published book, Leadership Reading: Spilling the Tea on How Top Leaders Read. I hope you find this article helpful and get a few useful pieces of information.

Ask Avil

Start Before You’re Ready and Take Consistent Action

“Start before you’re ready” and “Take consistent action” are two mantras that successful individuals across the world swear by. The idea of starting before you’re ready is to step outside your comfort zone, even if you don’t feel ready, and dive headfirst into your goals and dreams. Consistent action‌ emphasizes the importance of daily progress towards your goals, no matter how small.

These two concepts may seem contradictory at first. But when used together, they can be a powerful force for success. In this article, I’ll explore why starting before you’re ready and taking consistent action are essential for achieving your goals.

I’m writing this article because I need to hear it. Sometimes I take a while to get started. But once I do, it’s easier to stay the course. However, sometimes I started without being prepared and things worked out.

Starting Before You’re Ready

It’s human nature to want to feel fully prepared before starting a new endeavor. However, this mindset often leads to procrastination and a delay in progress. When you wait until you’re 100% ready, you risk missing opportunities and experiencing regrets.

Starting before you’re ready means taking action, despite feeling unprepared. It’s about recognizing that you will never feel fully ready. But that’s okay. It’s better to act and learn as you go than to wait and miss out on opportunities.

Many successful individuals, such as Richard Branson and Elon Musk, are known for taking risks and starting before they felt ready. They understood they could learn and grow from their mistakes. And that the only way to achieve their goals was to act.

Taking Consistent Action

Taking consistent action involves making progress towards your goals every day. It’s about breaking down your larger goals into smaller, more manageable tasks. And taking action towards them daily. Consistency is key. Small actions over time lead to significant results.

When you take consistent action, you develop momentum. And you build good habits that lead to success. Consistent action helps you stay focused and motivated, even when faced with setbacks or obstacles.

Many successful individuals credit consistent action as a major factor in their success. For example, Jerry Seinfeld, one of the most successful comedians of all time, attributes his success to writing jokes every day. He believed that the key to becoming a better comedian was to write consistently, even if the jokes weren’t always great.

Combining Starting Before You’re Ready and Taking Consistent Action

When used together, starting before you’re ready and taking consistent action can be a powerful force for success. Starting before you’re ready helps you overcome the fear of failure and work towards your goals. Consistent action helps you build momentum and stay focused.

By starting before you’re ready, you allow yourself to learn and grow from your mistakes. This‌ helps you take consistent action towards your goals. Consistent action allows you to make progress every day. And this leads to a sense of accomplishment and motivation to continue.

When you combine these two concepts, you develop a mindset of growth and progress. You understand you will never be fully ready, but that’s okay. You also recognize that progress towards your goals is not always linear, but small actions over time can lead to significant results.

Avil’s Case Study

A couple of years ago, I started a podcast called The One Problem. The concept is simple: guests present a problem, then provide a solution to the problem. I didn’t have any special podcast equipment. I used Zoom and still do.

Did I make many mistakes?

Absolutely!

But I learned from them.

When I started the podcast, I had over 20 years of interviewing experience. The goal was for the podcast to be done within 10 minutes. I had to make many tweaks along the way. I’ve recorded over 100 episodes so far. And I’m creating something worth listening to.

The next step is for me to get it on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Google Podcast. Right now, they’re on YouTube.

Over a week ago, I published Leadership Reading: Spilling the Tea on How Top Leaders Read. I know I wanted to write a book on the topic. So, I wrote many articles on the topic and educated others on the concept.

My accountability partner and I agreed to publish an ebook every quarter. I completed the book on March 17th. I asked ChatGPT to come up with the outline for the book. The outline was only a guide, and I didn’t stick to it.

What helped me tremendously is that I wrote every day. I’m writing Book Two of the series, which will be ready in April 2023. The second book is a major update. I published it a couple of years ago. But I recently realized that it was Book Two of the Leaders Read series. You’ll make mistakes in your life. Don’t beat yourself up, learn from them.

Conclusion

Starting before you’re ready and taking consistent action are two powerful concepts that lead to success in all aspects of life. By embracing these concepts, you can overcome the fear of failure, build momentum, and make progress towards your goals every day.

Although it’s a cliché, remember, success is not a destination. It’s a journey. By starting before you’re ready and taking consistent action, you can enjoy the journey and achieve your goals along the way. Start before you’re ready and take consistent action towards your dreams today.

Next Steps

If you found this article and newsletter informative, please:

Buy my new book, Leadership Reading: Spilling the Tea on How Top Leaders Read

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to access effective reading strategies and The One Problem podcast.

Buy The 7 Day Reading Makeover Challenge and practice reading like a leader!

Unlock the power of knowledge and take your leadership and personal development skills to new heights. Become a member of the Art of Learning Leadership Academy today and gain access to exclusive Bookish Notes.

Until Next Week,

Avil Beckford, Founder, The Invisible Mentor & Art of Learning Leadership Academy

theinvisiblementor.com