If you really knew what some of the most successful people started with on their incredible journeys, you would lose all sense of fear and trepidation—and just get started yourself. We create impossible myths around those who have achieved success, and we continue to build upon those myths until their accomplishments seem like unreachable feats reserved for the superhuman. The reality, however, is far different.
If you were to meet one of these high-achieving individuals and have a real conversation with them, you’d discover that despite their success, they are much like you. They worry about achieving their next goal. They wrestle with risks they’re about to take. They question whether they’ll rise to the occasion. They struggle with work-life balance and feelings of inadequacy. If you’re going to feel the same way—even after achieving success—then what’s stopping you now?
Ask someone successful at the tail end of their career, and they’ll almost always share a list of regrets. They may not be burdened by them, but they’ll admit they wish they had taken more risks, started sooner, spent more time on important things, and wasted less time on the unimportant. Every successful person I’ve ever talked to shares this same reflection. So, if that’s going to be your conclusion regardless of your success level, why not start now? Why not prioritize what really matters? Why not take their advice?
If you were a fly on the wall when a super successful person came up with their “earth-shattering” idea, you’d likely be surprised. It wasn’t the idea that changed the world—it was a completely different one that eventually made the impact. The difference between them and you? They acted on their ideas. You’re still sitting there, wringing your hands. If their breakthrough came from chasing something imperfect, why not get moving on your idea, as flawed or incomplete as it may seem?
Look at the timeline of anyone’s success, and you’ll see a lifetime filled with missteps, mistakes, and hard lessons. Yet, the moment that propelled them to greatness often happened quickly. In the scope of their life, the meteoric rise was short. A lifetime of dedication may have led to it, but the actual surge was brief. This tells us something important: success can come quickly, but only if you’re actually trying. The difference between them and you? They were in motion when success found them—you’re still standing still.
If you truly understood how little the successful had when they started—how few resources, how limited their knowledge, how meager their experience—you’d laugh at your own hesitation. You’re comparing yourself to Steve Jobs in his prime, not to the teenager cold-calling Bill Hewlett for spare parts. If you grasped just how rudimentary their beginnings were, you’d stop being afraid. Odds are, you have more tools, more information, and more opportunities than they ever did.
So here it is—simple, clear, and unshakably true: Start. Start now, with what you have. Start in the mess, in the uncertainty, in the fear. Start, not because it’s perfect, but because it matters. Start, because in the end, the only thing that separates you from them is that they did.
And you still can.
