Welcome To The Community

Together, we’ll dive deep and find the strength to never give up because Great Things Take Time.

It’s the final countdown to 2025. With less than a month left, many of us are now adding disclaimers to our emails stating that we’ll “circle back in the New Year.”  

Do we really need to delay a decision? Or does it feel kinda nice to procrastinate? You know who you are. ;)

If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe and join the Great Things Take Time Community to get content from me every Monday.

Here's what's in today's email

• Don’t Wait To Circle Back

• Moments with Maurice

• What's Got Me Smilin'

Don’t Wait To Circle Back

Why do decisions need to wait? Why can’t incremental changes start being made now? When we set ourselves up for a big majestic start, we may be setting ourselves up for delay. As humans, we often like things wrapped up in neat little packages that make complete sense to us. We need a clear beginning and an end. Where there is ambiguity, there might be confusion, and we definitely don’t like confusion! 

How many times do we wait for the perfect time to start something and for everything to fall into place? 

We wait for the New Year, the first of the month, a day of the week, or another birthday. Sometimes, we wait to hit goals before we try to make a change in our lives. 

“I’ll be happy when I have XYZ.”

“I’ll start this in the morning.”

“That’s a problem for another day.”

It’s always later. It’s never now. 

Launch Fast and Adjust

You’ve probably heard that tech startup motto: launch fast and adjust. Sometimes, that’s exactly what we need to do. 

You will never get it perfect the first time. 

Visually, I imagine a High School Musical-like ideal movie situation where the main character is pushed out on stage and into the lights in front of a packed audience. There is microphone feedback, and the first few verses of a song might come through too quiet, off-key, and generally unpleasant. But then the song continues, and the person ends up triumphantly finishing it to roaring applause.

Sure, I also can’t fully relate to this since I sing like absolute trash and wouldn’t make anyone susceptible to that horror. But you get the visual idea of what it’s like to muscle through something and fight your hardest to overcome something. It just usually doesn’t take that little time. 

Let’s take this newsletter and Great Things Take Time (GTTT) as a whole. Since launching this platform in August, there have been four months of unexpected roadblocks, unsubscriptions, things that have broken, gone wrong, and honest (and not always positive) feedback. 

Are there things that I wish I had done differently? ABSOLUTELY. 

Do I wish that I had waited to launch this? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

I know the negative impact of waiting would have been greater than launching with a less-than-perfect product. Delaying might have meant second-guessing myself and convincing myself out of something that I wanted to do. The truth is, you can plan for every scenario and test things a million times, but until it’s live and you’re living it, you have no idea how it will actually manifest.

There have also been four months of learning and being exposed to feedback I wouldn’t have gotten had I continued to delay. Every person who has been open and honest with me has given me something real and tangible that all the brainstorms, strategizing, and planning can’t hold a candle to. 

The key is to be more focused on what you can learn rather than be scared of what doesn’t go well.

So when is the right time to get started? I think you already know the answer to this.

The Right Time

If there isn’t a clear path onward, it causes us to wait “for the right time” to move forward with something. It could be to pick up a hobby, have a conversation with someone, or make a change in your life.

How many times in the last month have you said, “I’m waiting for the right time,” to start something or say something?

But what IS the right time? Be honest with yourself; there is always going to be something going on. There is a kid who didn’t sleep through the night, a deadline that was thrown on your plate, an unexpected bill, or another roadblock that gets placed in your path. You need to be prepared to deal with it as it comes and swerve around everything in your way. 

There is no right time to start something. It’s not obvious, and there are no airhorns or announcements to mark the occasion. In fact, that time to start something is probably right now.

Now, I want you to specifically think about the last time you said you were waiting for the “right time” to have a hard conversation with someone.

Let me tell you, if you’ve delayed something until the right time, I feel you. I've also been guilty of this. I can put off hard conversations with others because I worry about the right time to share something. But what are we waiting for? Do we imagine that suddenly, the clouds will part, the sun will shine, and the other person’s troubles will float away just in time for us to engage in a perfectly delivered conversation? 

Of course, there is a completely valid argument that we are waiting for the right time because the person we’re going to talk to is having a hard time or is going through something difficult. This is a very valid and empathetic thing to do. We don’t think about others enough in this world or take time to consider how our actions impact others. But don’t use this as an excuse to avoid a conversation. The deepest bonds can be made during the toughest situations, provided that there is thoughtfulness for others. Delaying a conversation may be doing more harm than good. 

Think about telling someone they have food in their teeth. It may feel awkward and humiliating at the time, but the person is usually grateful because they can fix something before it continues, and they interact with more people with a green leaf hanging out.

Don’t Be Scared

The truth is, when we hesitate, it’s usually because we’re scared. We’re worried about the unknown and taking a finite step toward a decision whose outcome we may not be able to predict. Our brains are trying to shield us from pain and struggle. It’s safer in the predictable warmth, not out there in the cold and uncharted land.

Don’t be scared to start something new or make a change. Whatever you’ve been thinking about doing or saying. Don’t circle back, do it now. Don’t wait until you feel the moment is right. It might never come. 

Things will never be perfect or right at first. Great Things Take Time, but they can’t begin to materialize unless you take the first step toward them and start the journey.

Moments with Maurice

While we ended not visiting the prompt and reflection this week, I wanted to share them regardless for those following along each week.

This week, I spoke about how I’ve felt that I see my grandmother reflected in both my brother and friend. It started to paint a picture for me as to who I gravitated toward, and who (or what) was in direct conflict of the person my grandmother was. It became just another way to be able to align with my priorities and follow my guiding light.

Because no matter what, there is always something to smile about.

Definitely Not A Mechanic

So when your car’s battery dies, you naturally want to fix it yourself, right? Well, at least I do. This was a classic case of the importance of doing your research before you start because all my excitement in the world could not make up for the fact that with this battery, you need a mechanic to code it. I could not replace it myself. F for FRICKING ENTHUSIASTIC. Thus began my car’s chauffeured ride in the most unnatural sense… being towed. Can’t help but laugh at my own enthusiasm.

Balance

I put this here as a reminder that over the holidays, it’s okay to switch things up and not eat the same things. Be in the moment with people you care about. This is the biggest thing that makes me happy and excited for the holidays: being surrounded by people you love. The left gets me through the week, and the right comes with a side of memories. Low-quality photo, high-quality vibes.

You’ve got this. I know you do. Remember:

-Adrian