Have you ever heard someone say this: “Well, the timing is just not right.” Usually this response is given as a reason for not pursuing something—a goal, a plan, a course of action. While timing is definitely an important consideration as we navigate our lives, both personal and professional, there is also an inherent danger in always waiting for the “right time.”
It’s not the right time to start/expand my business.
It’s not the right time to ask my girlfriend to marry me.
It’s not the right time to pursue my education.
It’s not the right time to approach that potential client.
Obviously, there are certain times when we should back off, slow down, and take a breather. But how often in our entrepreneurial endeavors do we use “the time is not right” simply as an excuse? Probably more often than is good for us or our brand.
This year, my husband resigned from his lucrative and successful job and started his own company. This was a decision we most definitely did not approach lightly: we have four children who all need an education, medical care, and food (three boys = lots of food!). One of the questions we asked ourselves constantly as we wrestled with the decision was whether or not the timing was right.
And do you know what we concluded?
There is NO Perfect Time to Take a Risk
That’s because a risk is, well, risky. We can weigh the pros and cons and do the best we can with the information we have in hand, but there is also much information hidden in the future that we just don’t have access to yet.
So we jumped, deciding to embrace the moment. The final outcome is unclear at present, but I can honestly say that even if our venture is a total failure, I feel successful because we at least took a chance. If we hadn’t, we would always wonder. What if we had tried that? What if we had taken the risk? What if we had not waited so long?
I don’t mean to sound like I’m the poster child for risk taking and embracing the moment, for I’m not. To be sure, there have been and will continue to be times in my life when I shrink back in the face of risk and utter the words “the time is not right” as a flippant excuse to justify my inaction. In fact (confession), I said those exact words to my husband just yesterday regarding a particular aspect of his new business.
What I’d like to do as I move forward in my own entrepreneurial journey and as a cheerleader for others on the same path is this:
Instead of rattling off “the time is not right” whenever faced with a new opportunity, possibility, or challenge, I want to train myself to say “perhaps.” I believe that if we stop and take a closer look at the moments in front of us with all their varied dreams and chances and allow the idea of “perhaps” to enter our minds, we might be able to better see a clear way forward.
Embracing what we were made to do involves taking risks. There’s no way around that. Accepting that there is never a “perfect time” for pretty much anything in life is one key to lowering your stress level as you make decisions.
You’re an entrepreneur. Don’t be afraid to take that risk, regardless of the timing. After all, it’s what you were made to do.
“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” – William G.T. Shedd