Ready Is Overrated

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had several conversations with people who reached out because they know something needs to change.

They’ve been successful. They’ve built impressive careers. They’ve accomplished a lot.

And yet, they can feel it.

They’ve outgrown their role, their organization, or perhaps even the career they once loved.

The conversations are remarkably similar.

“I’m ready to make a move.”

We talk about their goals, what’s possible, and what a strategy could look like.

Then, just before we wrap up, I often hear:

“I just need to get ready first.”

I smile because I know exactly what they mean.

And I also know something else:

We are rarely ready for the moments that change our lives.

We’re not ready for the phone call that changes everything.

We’re not ready to lose someone we love.

We’re not ready for the storm—literal or figurative—that suddenly changes our plans.

Yet somehow, we find a way forward.

Careers are no different.

You Don't Have to Be Ready. You Have to Be Willing.

Not long ago, I received a call from a client whose position had just been eliminated.

It wasn’t part of her plan.

She hadn’t updated her résumé. She hadn’t been networking. She certainly didn’t feel ready.

She was willing, though.

Willing to look at what had happened without letting it define what came next.

We spent our first few sessions creating a strategy rather than dwelling on the circumstances. We clarified her value, developed her story, identified the right opportunities, and stayed committed to the plan.

Less than 60 days later, she accepted a new position.

Another client came to me from a very different place.

He wasn’t facing a layoff. He had a good job.

He simply knew he was capable of more.

He wanted a bigger leadership role and understood that working hard alone wasn’t going to get him there.

Together, we refined his personal brand, increased his visibility, expanded his professional network, and intentionally positioned him for the opportunities he wanted.

Soon, instead of wondering where the next opportunity would come from, he was deciding which opportunity was the right fit.

Two very different stories.

One common thread:

Neither of them felt ready.

What they did have was the willingness to begin.

Action Creates Its Own Confidence

After years of coaching leaders through career transitions, I’ve noticed something.

The people who create meaningful change aren’t necessarily the ones with the perfect résumé, the biggest network, or the most confidence.

They’re the ones who are willing to move before they have every answer.

They embrace what lands in front of them.

They choose grit over fear.

They ask for support rather than trying to figure everything out alone.

They stay open to possibilities they hadn’t considered before.

And perhaps most importantly, they stop waiting for a feeling that may never come.

Action creates momentum.

Momentum builds confidence.

And confidence often comes because we started—not because we waited until we felt confident enough to begin.

So, What Are You Waiting For?

If you’ve been telling yourself you’ll make the call, update your résumé, refresh your LinkedIn profile, reach out to your network, or begin exploring what’s next “when you’re ready,” consider this your reminder:

Ready isn’t a feeling.

It’s a decision.

You don’t need to have the entire path mapped out.

You don’t need to know exactly what comes next.

You don’t need to feel fearless.

You simply need to be willing to take the first step.

Sometimes the most important move in your career isn’t the big, bold leap everyone can see.

It’s the quiet decision you make for yourself:

I’m not going to wait anymore.

And that may be where everything begins.

With purpose,

Gwen Silverstein
Founder, Top Talent Matters
Executive Career & Leadership Coach