Stop Waiting – It’s Your Turn
Yesterday, I was coaching a young woman who recently graduated from university. She’s doing her first formal job search. She had applied for a job that is very appealing to her. During our conversation, I realized she was basically in a holding pattern. Instead of moving full steam ahead to uncover more opportunities, she was waiting and hoping to hear back from the one job she’d applied for. During our conversation, I thought to myself, young people don’t realize that they shouldn’t be waiting.
Later that day, I was mentoring a 30-something “go-getter” professional. She had asked for a very well-justified raise and had made a very strong case for it. She was told she needed to wait. Our conversation reminded me of women I’ve coached who were told to they weren’t quite ready for a promotion. They were told they needed to wait for one thing or another to happen. I also thought about all the entrepreneurs I know who wait for certain things to happen before they go ahead with their ideas.
Then this morning, I emailed some people asking to be considered for a couple of big opportunities. Even though I have a lot more I want to accomplish today, I found myself not making much progress. I was distracted and kept checking email hoping I’d hear back. Oh no, I was waiting too!
Then this came to me:
As women, we’ve been told to wait…
Wait until we have more education,
Wait until there are more of us in the workforce,
Wait until we’d been working longer,
Wait until we got more training,
Wait until we have more confidence and courage,
Wait until you have accomplished more,
Wait until there are more opportunities or more money…
BUT GUESS WHAT?
WE DON’T HAVE TO WAIT.
We don’t need anyone’s permission.
It’s our turn.
If they say no, ASK AGAIN (or ask someone else);
If they say you can’t, SHOW THEM (or show someone else)!
DON’T WAIT.
Don’t wait until your product is perfect, it won’t ever be;
Don’t wait until its the right day of the week, or the right time of year, it will never be.
Don’t wait until you have your business cards, you don’t need them;
Don’t let them tell you you are not ready – you know you are.
Don’t wait for them to pick you – pick yourself.
Don’t follow – lead!
Don’t hesitate, don’t stop – just go!
YOU ARE READY NOW.
You are not an airplane in a holding pattern, waiting for the invisible air traffic control authority to tell you you can take off;
You are ready, you know you are.
We are waiting for you!
We are waiting for you to say yes…