The timing will be right. The conditions will be perfect. The path will unfold in front of us like something out of a movie montage.
But that’s not how it works.
Life doesn’t wait for your calendar to clear or for your confidence to catch up. Opportunities rarely come wrapped in neat timing or perfect conditions. More often than not, they show up in the middle of chaos, when you’re tired, underprepared, or, in my case, sitting on a wet step in Manly, rain pouring down, clutching an umbrella and a phone, pitching my first book idea to a publisher.
That’s where my story as an author really began. Not in a polished boardroom or after months of careful planning. But in the mess. The unpredictable, unglamorous, imperfect mess of life.
A few months earlier, my mentor had looked me in the eye and said, “You should write a book.”
I laughed. Out loud. I’d dropped English at sixteen and had never once imagined myself as a writer. I thought they were joking. But they weren’t.
They saw something I couldn’t yet see – potential, perspective, maybe even purpose. And before I knew it, they’d introduced me to a publisher who agreed to hear my pitch.
So there I was, sitting in the rain, nerves buzzing, pitching the idea that would eventually become my first book, From Me to We.
To my surprise, the publisher loved it. Within days, she’d asked for a formal proposal. A few weeks later, I got the call: they wanted the book.
Then came the catch.
I had three weeks.
Yes, three weeks to write the full manuscript.
No perfect setup. No writing retreat. Just me, a deadline, and a decision to make.
When they asked if I could do it, I didn’t hesitate. “Absolutely,” I said, though inside, I was vomiting in my mouth, thinking, how on earth was I going to pull this off?
But I knew one thing for certain…
If I waited for the “right” time, I’d never do it.
The stars weren’t going to align.
The only way forward was through action.
So I said yes, even though I wasn’t ready. And then I figured it out.
I called in help from people I trusted. I revisited my research, gathered my thoughts, and committed fully. It wasn’t easy, there were very long nights, early mornings, lots of doubts, missing out on family fun times and a lot of caffeine. But three weeks later, I handed in the manuscript that would become my first book.
That moment taught me three lessons that still shape the way I live and lead today:
- Say yes and figure it out later.
You won’t always feel ready, and that’s okay. Growth rarely happens inside your comfort zone. The conditions won’t be perfect, but if you say yes before you talk yourself out of it, you’ll find a way. You always do.
- Don’t do it alone.
No great leap is ever made in isolation. I wouldn’t have finished that book without my mentor’s belief, my network’s support, and the people who kept me accountable. Ask for help. Collaboration turns courage into action.
- Just go for it.
Once you commit, go all in. There will always be distractions, doubts, and detours. But momentum comes from movement, not waiting. The magic happens when you back yourself and keep showing up.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to launch the business, start the book, make the change, or chase the dream, here’s your sign. There is no perfect time. There’s just this moment.
The rain might still be falling. The path might still be unclear. But if you take the first step now, everything else will start to unfold.
Because the truth is, readiness isn’t something you wait for. It’s something you create.
Janine x