Why wait to get started?

It's the creators curse. Waiting for the 'right time' to start.

I didn’t need the right time to start this newsletter. Neither did Phil Knight need the right time to start Nike.

In my Creative Coaching (my paid job) I encounter a recurring pattern in people who want help unlocking their creative potential.

I’ll call it when-is-the-right-time-ism, but in reality it’s closer to fear. Fear of failure, fear of perfectionism. Just fear for fears sake.

Phil Knight didn’t need the right time. In the early 1960’s Knight was fresh out of business school and didn’t have much experience or cash. But he had an idea: import high-quality running shoes from Japan to sell in the USA.

Without hesitation, he cold-called the Japanese company Onitsuka (now ASICS) and convinced them to make him the distributor for their shoes in America, despite having no real business. Knight sold shoes out of the trunk of his car at track meets and gradually built up sales. His boldness and willingness to start small ultimately led to the founding of Nike, now one of the world’s most recognizable brands.

Knight’s story shows how starting imperfectly, without a complete plan or the ideal resources, can still lead to success. He saw an opportunity, acted on it, and let the project evolve as he learned along the way.

So how can you start something imperfectly?

By reframing your perfection.