Ready Is a Lie

By Jack Walker

“Ready.” It’s the most seductive lie we tell ourselves.

It sounds responsible. Sensible. Even wise. “I’ll start when I’m ready,” we tell ourselves, as if readiness is some switch we can flip.

Here’s the truth — and it’s a little brutal: you’re never going to feel ready.

Every meaningful step you’ve ever taken happened before you felt prepared. Not after. Not when the risks disappeared. Not when the fear quieted down.

Because readiness isn’t a feeling. It’s hindsight.

You only recognize it after you’ve moved. After you’ve said yes to something scary. After you’ve stepped toward a goal that seemed impossible. And when you look back, you realize something freeing:

You learned the path by walking it.

You didn’t have all the answers before you started. You figured them out while in motion. You adjusted, stumbled, and tried again. That’s how real growth works.

So if you’re standing on the edge of something you want — a dream, a shift, a conversation, a life change — here’s your reminder:

Stop waiting for the moment you magically feel prepared. That moment isn’t coming.

Go now.
Start with shaky hands.
Say yes before you feel worthy.
Move even while fear is loud.

It will be messy. You will stumble. You will question yourself. That’s the point. Courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s showing up anyway. Confidence isn’t something you find before you start; it’s something you build as you move forward.

You’ll find your footing on the way. You’ll build courage while in motion. And the version of you on the other side? They’ll look back and wonder why you ever waited at all.

Because readiness isn’t a prerequisite. It’s a result.

Stop waiting. Go. Just go.

— Jack Walker