The Myth of 'Ready': You Learned to Walk Before You Knew How to Stand

How many great ideas are sitting on your shelf, gathering dust? How many dreams are paused, waiting for that one, magical day when everything will be “just right”?

We tell ourselves stories to stay comfortable. “I’ll start my business when I have more capital.” “I’ll start writing my book when I have the whole plot figured out.” “I’ll join the gym when I’m a little fitter.” We are waiting for the stars to align, for the perfect moment when we are fully equipped, completely prepared, and 100% “ready” to fight for what we want.

But here’s a truth we often forget: Ready is a myth.

Think back to the most fundamental skill you ever learned. Before the languages, the mathematics, the complex social navigation—you learned to walk.

Now, consider the beautiful absurdity of that process. As a toddler, you didn’t sit in your crib drafting a multi-point plan for ambulation. You didn’t read manuals on balance and gravity. You didn’t wait until your leg muscles were perfectly developed and you had mastered the art of standing still for hours.

You saw a world you wanted to explore, and you just… went for it.

You pulled yourself up, wobbly and uncertain. You took a step, your entire body a mess of uncoordinated effort. And you almost certainly fell. You fell hard. You probably cried. But then, driven by an instinct far more powerful than the fear of failure, you did it again. And again. And again.

You started the fight to walk long before you were “ready.” In fact, you learned how to stand because you were trying to walk. The fight itself was the preparation.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

This isn’t just a nostalgic memory; it’s the blueprint for every meaningful achievement in life. The “readiness” we seek is a mirage, an excuse our fear creates to keep us in the safety of the starting blocks. Real growth, real progress, happens in the messy middle, in the uncertain first steps.

The Fight is in the Doing, Not the Waiting

We often imagine our great challenges as a final boss in a video game—something we spend ages preparing for, gathering all the right tools and power-ups before we dare to face it. But life isn’t like that. The fight isn’t a single event at the end of a long road of preparation. The fight is the road itself.

The fight is:

• Writing the terrible first draft.
• Making the awkward first sales call.
• Lifting the weight that feels too heavy.
• Publishing the blog post you think no one will read.

Each of these “imperfect” actions is a wobble. Each one is a potential fall. But each one is also a data point. With every attempt, you learn something new about balance, strength, and the terrain you’re navigating. You are building your “standing” skills while in the very act of trying to “walk.”

“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott

Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. It convinces us that a flawed beginning is a definitive failure. But the toddler doesn’t see falling as failure; it’s simply part of the process. So why do we, as adults, grant so much power to the fear of not being perfect from the get-go?

So, What’s Your Wobbly First Step?

Look at that goal you’ve been putting off. The one that’s waiting for you to be “ready.” What is the smallest, most imperfect, wobbliest first step you can take towards it today?

• Don’t “launch a company.” Just draft a one-sentence mission statement.
• Don’t “write a novel.” Just write one paragraph describing the main character.
• Don’t “run a marathon.” Just put on your shoes and walk around the block.

The universe doesn’t reward preparation; it rewards action. Momentum is a powerful force, and it can only be created by taking that first, uncertain step. You don’t need all the answers. You don’t need a guarantee of success. You just need to honour the same instinct that taught you to walk.

You are built to learn by doing. You are designed to find your balance in motion. You have already conquered the impossible from a state of complete ignorance once before. You can do it again.

Stop waiting for the ground to be steady. The ground is never steady. Your job is to find your footing while it shakes.

“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” – George Herbert

What are you waiting for? The fight has already begun. It’s time to take your first step.