Moonshot Mentor with Laverne McKinnon Are You Still Waiting to Feel Ready? 🛑 The truth about timing and big dreams
There comes a point when waiting for the “right time” turns into never.
Maybe you’ve been meaning to pivot to a more meaningful career path, but every time you try to shift gears, golden handcuffs or self-doubt pull you back. Maybe you’ve been longing to go after a leadership role, but imposter syndrome has held you back. Maybe you’ve always wanted to start your own business, but the steady paycheck or fear of instability kept you from taking the leap.
Pursuing long-held dreams is rarely convenient, but reclaiming them can be an act of courage, alignment, and self-expression.
I’ve been putting off my dream of writing a book for decades. First, I got derailed by my Hollywood career, then I wanted to wait for my kids to get older, then I needed to feel financially stable and then I needed to re-organize my book shelf.
The truth is that underneath all the legitimate reasons and ridiculous excuses, I kept waiting to be more qualified. Until the hard truth hit me: conditions will never be perfect (and the stove will always need another cleaning) … and my dream will keep knocking until I either go for it or put it to rest forever.
What Gets in the Way
I know I’m not alone in this. A recent survey found that only 7% of U.S. workers say they’re in their “dream career.” That means 93% of us are not doing what we really want to be doing.
So if you’re feeling stuck or like you’ve been sitting on a moonshot idea that hasn’t left the launch pad, you have a lot of company. Here’s why it’s hard:
* The inner critic is having a field day and has invited all its friends to stop you in your tracks.
* The process of going after your dream feels as opaque and confusing as getting out of one of those escape rooms everyone’s been trying.
* You’re used to being the expert and becoming a beginner again makes your stomach and ego churn.
* Your time is packed and your energy is stretched.
* The fear of failure or “mucking up your life” makes your palms and pits sweat.
These emotional and logistical hurdles are real and they’re surmountable.
How To Get Started
In physics, there’s a principle called wave-particle duality. In the simplest terms, it states that light behaves as both a particle and a wave. What that means for us is that two totally opposite states can and do coexist.
On one hand we are filled with doubt, confusion, fear, stress, and uncertainty. On the other hand we are confident, clear, brave, resilient, and trusting. Through the power of the word “and” we connect these seemingly disparate experiences in order to take a first step.
* The inner critic can be screaming in your face and you send an email.
* The process feels opaque and confusing and you can ask someone for guidance.
* You’re an expert who relies on the depth of your experience and you’re a beginner who asks smart questions.
* Your time and energy are stretched and you reprioritize based on your values.
* You fear mucking up your life and you trust that you can navigate challenges and course correct as needed.
This is how going after your dream begins: in the tension between fear and courage, doubt and desire, hesitation and hope.
My Moonshot
So with the power of “and”, I’m finally writing my book starting with a real book proposal (with sample chapters and all!) represented by the fabulous, smart publishing agent Jude Marwa at the very fancy Peters Fraser + Dunlop agency in London.
This is what happened:
* My inner gremlins told me I missed my window to learn how to write and I took writing classes.
* The process of writing a proposal was absolutely overwhelming and I hired a book coach who gave me samples, read my early drafts and cheered me on.
* I’m a former Executive Vice-President who has some very big wins under my belt and I asked a lot of “101” questions of my coach like what’s the difference between an overview and a summary?
* My bandwidth was completely tapped and I rejiggered my workout schedule so I exercised at home instead of going to the gym. (Saved me about 4 hours per week!)
* I was afraid I’d quit which I did at one point for about six weeks and I trusted that this was a natural part of the process. Also pretty much every writer I know has hit multiple blocks in their careers.
Now I can tell the girl who I was at ten, who won an essay contest and who got her picture taken with the mayor of Darien, Illinois, that her dream of writing a book is coming true. One baby step at a time. Bird by bird. (If you haven’t read the Bird by Bird book by Anne LaMott, stop everything and get to your library. Big game changer.)
What I’ve Learned So Far
A few things I’ve learned as a bonus to the power of “and”:
* Never wait until you’re ready. Know that taking that first step will feel like a belly flop, but you got in the pool!
* Community matters more than willpower. Get support.
* The fear doesn’t really go away, but our relationship with it can change. It’s like when I see a spider. When I was a kid, I would scream. Now I still get the heeby-jeebies, but I can walk on by.
The Bottom Line
Pursuing a dream isn’t about having perfect timing, unshakable confidence, or unlimited bandwidth. It’s about making space for possibility in the midst of real life. The doubts won’t vanish. The dishes will still be in the sink. But if the dream keeps tugging at you, that means it still matters. And you get to begin. Not because you're finally “ready,” but because you're willing to hold the fear and the desire, the resistance and the hope… and take one step anyway.
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Journal Prompts
Here are journal prompts for paid Moonshot Mentor subscribers. Whether your dream is bold and public or quiet and personal, these prompts can you begin.