July 29

Waiting for Permission

It is easier to blame others than it is to assume responsibility for results. Now, most of us don’t overtly blame others for our own shortcomings. We are far too subtle and clever for that. Instead, we develop narratives that grant us permission to avoid anything that might fail.

We would rather live with the delusion of invulnerability than test our limits and discover that we actually have some.

One narrative that we adopt is “as soon as…”:

“As soon as my manager seems to be in a good mood, I’ll…”

“As soon as I get all my things in order, I’ll…”

“As soon as I have a perfect strategy, I’ll…”

We are waiting. But what are we really waiting for? If we’re honest,

we’re waiting for someone to give us permission to take the risk. Many people spend their entire lives and careers waiting, and that permission never comes.

Stop waiting for permission as a means to avoid taking risks.

QUESTION

Are you waiting for permission before doing something you know you should do? Take a step today.